Carpe Diem
by TheHiddenPanda
Summary: "Dream as if you'll live forever.  Live as if you'll die today." James Dean.  Opal,  a young teen from Pallet Town, discovers that there is a life outside of her hometown. Based on the manga and first-gen games.
1. Prologue: VS Mom!

_Wow~_

_ My first fanfic in this site, how exciting! I'm not sure why I started with a Pokemon fic, but I'm having a ton of fun writing this. I finally dug up that Pokemon Yellow copy just to get some 'inspiration'. First Gen games are so much fun to play especially after blazing through Pokemon Black and White. _

_This fic is based off on the first gen games (i.e. Red, Blue, Green, etc.). I also decided to add in the plot of Pokemon Adventures, the manga. Yes, I'm a big fan of that, and honestly, the characters in it are much more interesting than the anime. _

_Without further ado, let the story begin! Hopefully, you guys enjoy this little prologue. I'd also like to add that this will probably be the **only **chapter that is written in first person point of view. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon: the games or the manga.**_  
><em>

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><p>Some people believe Pokemon are just tools to be used: nothing more, nothing less. Others believe they are our friends and keep them as pets; a few research them. However, there are people that take the challenge of raising them and train them for battles, pitting specie against specie.<p>

…Fortunately or unfortunately, I am grouped up in the last category with the rest of those idiots.

I kid, I kid.

I love Pokemon with all my heart, which is why on my twelfth birthday; I was pleasantly surprised when my mother woke me up, a wide smile plastered on her face. Her brown eyes twinkled with a mischievous light that I've never seen.

"Opal, wake up. Do you know what day is it?" she asked me, shaking my shoulders slightly. I was, of course, still very sleepy, and my mind was still fogged up. The party we threw last night gave some sort of drunken aftereffect even though I _swear_ I did not drink alcohol.

"Mmm…Sunday?" I mumbled drowsily, rolling over to the other side in a feeble attempt to shake off the woman who gave birth to me. Wrong move. I was disappointed when I left my comfy bed to hit the cold hard floor face first. And if that wasn't bad enough, I dragged my bed sheet with me, startling my mother who then stomped on my ribcage. "OUCH!"

"Sorry, sorry honey! I didn't mean to," my mother apologized. All I could do was grumble and clutch my throbbing side and curse at whichever God was laughing at me at the moment (my bet's on Mew**(1)**). "Anyways, it isn't Sunday, it's Monday."

"Okay Mom, what's so special about Monday? It's summer vacation and unless I missed something here, I don't have school during summer," I pointed out, an eyebrow arched. My words didn't seem to dampen my mother's mood though. She was still in smiles and I was getting very, very uncomfortable.

"Why of course, Opal. Do you think your mother is a fool?" Yes.

"We both know you turned 12 last night, and you've been doing very well with your studies." Where's she going with this?

"I think we both know it's time…"

"That I get a laptop?" I piped in. The flash of annoyance on Mom's face immediately shut me up. I better not push my luck or I'll be saying bye-bye to my lovely desktop and hello to Summer Camp with all the other losers that had the misfortune of landing themselves there, because we all know Summer Camp is filled with delinquents and rejects.**(2)**

"No, honey." Darn.

"I'm worried about your health. I know now you are a smart, bright young lady and your P.E. grades aren't that bad. But I'm starting to wonder why you haven't left yet for your Pokemon journey like all the other children your age," Mom explained, grasping my hands into hers and giving me a worried look. Pfft, I bet she wants the house to herself. Mew knows I never leave the living room, but I could if she could just get me that laptop…

"Yeah Mom, I know. I don't mind hanging out with Pokemon, heck, I always like visiting Prof. Oak's lab during fieldtrips, but leaving home with just a white-and-red machine ball to protect me from the unknown dangers just didn't seem to hit me as safe. I'd rather just freeload, finish my studies, and settle down in little Pallet Town," I replied calmly. The look on my mother's face was priceless.

…Yes, that sounds very boring. In actuality, that's not my life plan at all. It's just me being very, very indecisive, and I have yet to find me true calling. Yet, my mother seems to be eager to push me in the right direction immediately.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear you say that!" Mom said brightly, obviously ignoring the last parts of my explanation. "You know our neighbors, the Garlanders?"

"You mean the ones with the laptop that has a 4GB of RAM and an AMD Turion x2 Dual Core processor?" I mumble rapidly, eyes wide and mouth hanging open in awe. If only Mom could buy me that $3,000 laptop…

"Um…yes?" Mom answers uncertainly. I bet she has no clue what I just said, but that doesn't matter. "Anyways, their daughter, Tally, just turned 10 and she's eager to start her journey. They're worried about her well-being since she stubbornly refuses to bring along her bodyguards and luckily, I told them I had a daughter around her age who has yet to go on her adventure," Mom cheerfully explained.

I sighed, knowing where this conversation was going. Way to go Mom, just couldn't keep your mouth shut, huh? If you wanted to go on Pokebook**(3)**that much, you could have just asked!

"I see Mom, but I don't want to be stuck babysitting," I argued. Travelling with a rich spoiled brat? No thank you. But that disappointed smile is on her face, and I knew I was in trouble.

"Opal, I think this will be good for you," Mom kept urging on and on. I resisted the urge to roll me eyes. She was my mother and the least I could do was respect her.

"No, Mom. I think I'll just skip this stage in life and live normally. Maybe a Saffron worker or something," I shrugged. Her frown deepened. Thanks Mew, for giving me a mother who was not content on letting me have a normal life.

"How about I make you a deal?" Mom challenged. I shot right up after hearing those words leaving her lips. I was always the one issuing challenges, never my mother. And usually, the prize at stake was always in my favor.

"If you go on that journey with Tally, I swear I will buy you that game room you've always been pestering me about since you were five," Mom winked. That caught my attention. Picture this: a rabid fan girl with star struck eyes, drool coming out the corner of her mouth and her hands clasped tightly together. That, right there, is a perfect picture of yours truly.

"DEAL! Deal times ten! Deal times a hundred!" I agreed immediately. This offer was too much! I pictured a wide screen TV with countless of game consoles in the numerous shelves, rows and rows of games filling the room. Add in a popcorn machines and beanbag chairs and I would be in heaven.

Okay, I had to get real. The best I could get was a TV, a beanbag chair, and maybe a game console with three games. But that was good enough for me!

"That's great, because I already signed you up for your Pokemon license which you should be able to pick up tomorrow when you go with Tally to Prof. Oak's lab. Oh, and they gave me this too," Mom threw something at me which I easily caught with my ninja-like reflexes.

…Okay, maybe it hit me on my nose, but that was cool. It was a pretty simple device: a cellphone. I've never owned one seeing as I literally restricted myself in Pallet Town, which was relatively small, so I never found the need to ask for one, and neither has my mother been compelled to buy me one. I have, however, played with some of my classmate's cellphones and knew how to operate one.

"Only my number is in there but hopefully you'll add some more contacts later on in your journey. In fact, you should ask Tally for her number just in case," Mom suggested helpfully. I was too busy playing with the mini-games in my cellphone, but I understood what my mother was trying to say and just nodded my head. "You should get ready. Why not introduce yourself to Tally?"

"I'll do it tomorrow Mom. For now…" I stood up and crawled back into my bed, pushing away my mother slightly so I could hog up the entire mattress, "I'm going back to sleep!"

Last thing I heard before I dozed off was my mother's laughter and the door closing shut. Might as well rest up for the next year of my life will be no doubt…troublesome.

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><p><strong>(1): In terms of religion, I'll be basing it off the speculation that people in the Pokemon World refer to legendaries as their 'God' in hopes that this fic will not offend anyone. And who wouldn't want to worship a fluffy pink creature?<strong>

**(2): I hope everyone knows I'm kidding about this...**

**(3): ****This is a lame ripoff of Facebook. You should get used to the fact that I will be replacing some things with Pokemon themes. (MySpace = MyPoke; K-Pop = J-Puff) They're lame, and whoever guesses what their real-world counterpart is gets...nothing. :(**

_And if anyone is curious as to whether or not I'll be accepting OCs, well, I have two at the moment (Opal and Tally). I'm still deciding whether or not I should accept them so I can make rivals, but I'm more worried about the OCs interfering with the manga's plotline. Any suggestions inboxed to me will be appreciated. _


	2. Chapter 1: VS Horsea!

_The first chapter, yay! As promised, it isn't in first-person point of view. _

_I just want to thank Alphinia for being my first reviewer AND for giving me those lovely pieces of advice. I'll keep that in mind about footnotes!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

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><p>Opal stood at the front of Pallet's one and only research lab, owned by the world's famous Pokemon researcher, Professor Oak. A tall black fence to prevent snatchers surrounded the massive dome building and towering trees grew around it. Her dark brown eyes wandered over to the Pokemon pen, watching various species interact with each other. The corners of her mouth turned upwards as she watched an Oddish walk into a tree and fall down back on its butt, having difficulty getting back up.<p>

'_Geez, this is boring. How much longer am I going to have to wait?_' Opal thought to herself. She cursed her mother for making her wake up so early and having her pack her things inside her pink schoolbag. Now here she was, standing in front of a Pokemon lab under the hot, blaring sun. Not to mention she was wearing a blue jacket, which she opened to cool off a little.

"Opal?" a soft voice called out to the brunette. Opal whipped around to face a blonde girl with timid blue eyes, lips trembling slightly from nervousness. Opal compared her plain white T-shirt and faded blue jeans with the new girl's fancy blue dress and expensive-looking white cardigan, a bulging blue bag strapped to her delicate shoulder. It seemed much too heavy for the petite blonde.

"Ah…Tallay right?" Opal said uncertainly. The blonde smiled softly in response.

"Tally," she corrected. Opal felt like smacking her forehead. Way to go, blowing your first meeting with your travelling buddy for the next year or so.

"Sorry," Opal apologized, tapping her foot on the floor. It was a habit she picked up whenever she got nervous. Tally didn't look like she was going to break the silence so Opal took the initiative. "Should we…go in? It's getting kind of hot out here."

"R-Right!" Tally squeaked, scurrying to ring the doorbell. Opal sweatdropped when Tally tripped over a minute rock in the roadside, falling over face first in the dirt. "Ouch!"

"Hey! Are you okay?" Opal asked hurriedly, helping Tally get back and dusting off her now dirty dress. Tally looked upset, with tears in her eyes, making Opal feel bad for the younger girl.

"Yes, I'm alright," Tally sniffled, wiping away her tears and fixing her dress and her hair to the best of her ability. "Sorry that you're stuck with me. I-I'm really clumsy and not at all independent and-and-and…"

"That's okay, Tally. Why don't we go inside so you can calm down and get yourself together?" Opal suggested. She was not good with girl talk and talking about insecurities and whatnot. Tally just nodded in agreement. Opal went ahead and opened the gate, walking behind Tally to make sure the fragile blonde didn't injure herself again.

"Uh, my mom and dad talked to Professor Oak about me getting a starter but…" Tally said, trying to break the awkward silence between the girls. Opal perked up a little, tilting her head to the side.

"But what?" Opal asked. Tally looked down, slowing down a bit before stopping completely.

"To be honest, I don't know much about Pokemon. I've only seen them in TV. So I have no idea which one I should choose…" Tally confessed quietly. Opal's eyes bulged. Why did this girl even want to go on a journey?

"Well, don't worry about it. I'm sure Professor Oak will explain things to you once we're inside," Opal reassured, opening the door for them.

"Y-You're right," Tally agreed, a relieved smile lighting up her face. Opal thought Tally looked much prettier when she was smiling than when she was looking at the ground. She took a strand of her own hair and frowned disdainfully at the bland color.

They walked a little further. Opal wondered how big the research lab really was. She also wondered why it was so dark, the only light source being sunlight seeping through the boarded up windows. Opal squinted and unknowingly bumped straight into Tally. "Ah-hey! Sorry Tally…"

There was no response. Opal quirked an eyebrow and noticed that the girl was trembling, Tally's hand covering her mouth. Opal turned her head and her eye's widened at the mess. The shelves were tumbled over, Pokeballs spilled on the ground, and footsteps littered the walls and—the ceiling!

"HOLY HYPNO! What the flip happened here?" Opal exclaimed. Tally didn't reply, her sky blue eyes darting back and forth. The Professor was nowhere in sight.

"O-Oh no…w-what if something bad happened to the Professor? T-Then the police will find us a-and think we did it," Tally muttered, eyes wide like plates. "I'M TOO YOUNG TO GO TO JAIL!"

"Tally!" Opal called out, grabbing the girl by the shoulders and rotating her away from the sight. "Calm down! We are NOT going to jail. So how about we leave and tell your parents what we saw just in case whoever did this comes back."

Tally was now breathing hard, cheeks red and tears threatening to burst. "Yeah, okay…yeah. L-Let's do that," Tally nodded, wiping away the liquid at the corner of her eyes. The two girls glanced behind their backs one more time before turning to make their leave.

However, the sound of the door creaking open made both freeze. Opal shivered, the feeling of cold hard terror travelling down her spine. Her stomach felt queasy and her mind ceased to function correctly. Tally was not doing better, falling to the floor, as her legs could not support her body anymore.

"What the…? I thought I left the lab locked after the incident…" a deep voice mused to himself, not knowing that two adolescent girls were in the same room. It was then that Opal's mind cleared a bit. Her brown eyes looked around for a place to hide, spotting a turned over table at the side.

"Tally," Opal hissed, tugging the blonde's hand. Panicky blue eyes met determined brown ones. "Come on! We need to hide!"

"I…" Tally was at lost, mouth closing and opening. Opal frowned; they needed to get moving now.

"Tally! Come. On," Opal repeated, gritting her teeth in frustration. Half of her wanted to ditch Tally, but she wasn't that heartless.

"Hello? Is someone there?" the same voice called out. Opal shut her eyes. The footsteps were getting closer and closer. She could only brace herself for the worst… "Oh my, what are you two young ladies doing on the floor? Get up, get up. I haven't cleaned up yet!"

Opal eyes fluttered open. "Eh?" she cried out in disbelief, recognizing the owner of the voice to be Professor Oak. Tally's face was drained of color. The poor girl looked as if she was about to pass out at any second now.

"Oh! Opal, what are you doing here?" Professor Oak inquired, having seen the brunette around Pallet plenty of times to get acquainted with. Opal breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Mew that it was only Professor Oak and not some homicidal thief. "Wait a minute…Thalia? What are you guys doing here together—oh no! Don't tell me it's already nine!"

Opal shook her head. Despite being known for being the world's leading Pokemon researcher, Prof. Oak always managed to forget the time. "Yes, Professor. Which is why Tally and I are here in your…lab at the moment."

"Oh, I nearly forgot! You see, a boy around your age came in here and chose Bulbasaur as his starter and my grandson Green took Charmander as his starting Pokemon. There was a recent crime here and—" the professor was about to continue, but Opal cut him off.

"Woah, woah, woah. There was a _crime _here recently? As in…how recently?" Opal asked, flabbergasted. Prof. Oak smiled sheepishly.

"Well, you see, it happened just a few hours before you came in and I went out to inform Officer Jenny. I apologize that this happened a few moments before you came to pick up your Pokemon," Prof. Oak apologized.

"I-I'm just glad you weren't hurt Professor," Tally dismissed, finally catching her breath long enough to add her own thoughts in the conversation. "If today isn't a good day…"

"No, please, I'm fine. If anything, I'm sorry that all of the starters were taken. I planned three for you, Opal, and my grandson. I guess fate had its own plans," Prof. Oak laughed nervously. "I mean, I have a few Pokemon here that are highly trained and obedient, but they may be too much for you to handle."

"Can we meet them anyways?" Opal asked, curious to see what kind of Pokemon the professor had in reserve.

"Ah, well…" Prof. Oak started, leading the girls away from the mess and into a fairly neat bookshelf with rows filled with pokeballs. Opal leaned in to observe the insides and was surprised to see Meowths, Metapods, and more. "I've captured a few Pokemon near the outskirts of Pallet Town such as Rattata, Pidgey, and…"

"Professor, do you have anything less wild and more tame for Tally? She's quite new to this and I'm not sure she can handle a Pokemon that has been influenced by others," Opal interjected. Prof. Oak paused and thought for a while before it hit him.

"I got it! My grandson was out capturing Pokemon for me with his Super Rod and caught this rather timid looking Pokemon. It's rather weak and I have yet to research it, but I think it would work well with Tally," Prof. Oak said before grabbing a pokeball and calling out the Pokemon inside of it. Out came a blue, seahorse looking Pokemon, with wide red eyes and a yellow stomach. It didn't seem to fit in land, lying on the floor motionless as if it was dead.

Tally crouched down to stare at it with curious eyes. "What's it called?" she asked quietly, reaching over to pet it. It was then that the little Pokemon became animated. The blue sea Pokemon wiggled away from Tally's touch to hide behind the table. Tally recoiled her hand, a disappointed frown on her face.

"This Pokemon is called Horsea. We found it in Route 21, and it's a rather shy Pokemon. You'd have to be patient with it to allow it to warm up to you first," the professor explained.

Tally was silent until she said, "I'll take it. A-Actually, I would have taken any Pokemon you offered to me. T-Thank you…"

"Wahaha, you're quite welcome young lady. And how about you, Opal? Will you not be taking a Pokemon? I heard you were licensed," the professor observed. Opal gave out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh no, not me. I'm just here to accompany Tally. Nothing more, nothing less," Opal clarified. Prof. Oak stroked his chin, eying Opal carefully.

"If that's the case, then may I ask you a question?" Prof. Oak started, a glint in his eye that Opal did not like. "I'd like you to find that Squirtle which was stolen from me. The thief took a pokedex as well and I'd love to have both items returned to me."

"A…pokedex?" Opal repeated, a bit lost.

"Yes! It's an invention I created myself. This little machine records information of the Pokemon you catch. In addition, it beeps when other pokedexes are near," the professor enlightened the two young ladies. He showed them the red machine, feeling quite proud of his achievement.

"Amazing…" Tally marveled. She had never seen anything like it before, not even inside Silph Co., the company where her father worked in. The device was simply outstanding.

"That's very nice Professor…what I don't understand is why you're showing us this…?" Opal said, taking away her eyes from the pocket-sized encyclopedia to look at the professor. She didn't have a clear idea of what was going on, but if her suspicions were correct…

"I'd like you to use this old model to find the Squirtle thief," Prof. Oak stated bluntly. Opal's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Did she hear him right?

"Oh no…no, no, no Prof. Oak. I can't…I mean, I'm not…" Opal quickly refused, wracking her mind for a reasonable reason. Tally was now too busy trying to coax her new Pokemon out from under a table to pay attention to the conversation between Opal and Prof. Oak.

"Opal, I'm worried about that Squirtle's safety and I acknowledge you as a capable trainer. Please help me find that Squirtle," Prof. Oak requested. Opal bit her lip. She was put in a tough spot. If she said no, Opal would sound heartless and that would be troubling.

"I…fine. Alright, I'll help you, Professor," Opal sighed, too lazy to put up a good fight. Prof. Oak smiled brightly.

"Great! If you don't mind, please try to record information for every kind of Pokemon you meet," Prof. Oak enthusiastically reminded. Opel slapped her forehead. What had she gotten herself into?

"Yes, Professor…of course," Opal muttered darkly. Prof. Oak smiled excitedly.

"Here, take this Opal," Professor Oak said, handing over a worn-out pokeball. Opal took it with a look of confusion on her face. "That pokeball contains my Spearow. He's the only one capable of recognizing Squirtle just incase you meet it on the road."

"Ah, I see. Thanks, Professor. But are you sure Spearow will listen to me?" Opal asked nervously. Prof. Oak thought for awhile.

"Hmm…I'm not sure. Why don't you call it out?" Prof. Oak suggested. Opal twitched before tossing the pokeball in the air. It burst open to reveal a black-bodied bird-like Pokemon with red wings and a brown head. Opal caught the falling pokeball expertly, having been trained to do that in school.

"Spear, row!" Spearow cried out. It stayed airborne until it descended down onto the professor's shoulder. Its beady black eyes met Opal's brown ones. The poor girl gulped shakily under the intense stare.

"Uh…hi Spearow. It seems you're stuck with me for awhile…and, uh, I hope we get along?" Opal introduced, feeling stupid for acting so weird around a Pokemon that was ten times smaller than her.

"Rooow," it crooned, not making any movement to interact with Opal. The girl sighed. At least it wasn't attacking her or avoiding her like what Horsea was doing with Tally.

Prof. Oak frowned. "It doesn't seem like you'll be able to use Spearow in battle Opal. I'm sorry."

"That's quite alright Professor, I'm not much of a battler…" Opal easily waved off. It was true; Opal never found the fun in watching sweaty creatures tackle each other to see who was stronger. It was like watching sumo wrestling, except most Pokemon weren't that big and it wasn't as flashy.

"Well, I think you're all set. The only thing I can tell you is that you should not challenge the gym in Viridian City just yet. Head to Pewter City for your first gym match against Brock," the professor wisely advised. Opal nodded her head, keeping that in mind to remind Tally once they reached the city. Opal then recalled Spearow into its pokeball.

"Thank you for all the help, Prof. Oak. We appreciate it," Opal thanked respectfully. She looked over at Tally to see the girl looking back up, the Horsea now in her arms, though it looked like it would rather be on the floor again. Yet, it did look a bit more comfortable than it did ten minutes ago.

"Y-Yes! Thank you very much, Professor!" Tally curtsied, or tried to while handling the squirming seahorse in her arms. Finally, the struggling female decided to just deal with the "bonding" later and recalled her Horsea back into its pokeball. The duo departed from the lab together, leaving the professor to deal with his current situation.

As they walked, Opal took this time to enjoy the scenery of Pallet, seeing as she'll be leaving her hometown in a little while. Pallet was quaint and there weren't very many houses grouped up together. In fact, a good five feet separated her house from Tally's. She turned her head to the side towards the sea she had grown up so close to and watched the waves crash against the sand.

Suddenly, the feeling of regret hit her. Honestly, she didn't want to leave anymore. Opal had no purpose, had no dreams, and she wasn't even that close to Tally. So, why even bother going?

"U-Um…Opal?" Tally called out softly, hands behind her back and eyes focused solely on the ground. Opal paused and peeked over her shoulder, looking curiously at the shy blonde. "I just want to thank you, really. If you hadn't agreed, I would have been stuck at home, and I wouldn't have been able to accomplish my goal."

Opal's eyes widened. "Your…goal?"

"Y-Yes," Tally flushed, still not meeting Opal's inquisitive gaze. "I mean, I know I'm not impressive or even champion-material. I've always been treated like a little girl, but I want to change that! I want to prove to people that even people like me can become strong. And the only way to do that is by b-beating the Elite Four!"

"You're joking…" Opal breathed out, quite taken aback by Tally's sudden confidence. "I mean, that's great, but that isn't the only way you can show your strength."

"It is! It is!" Tally argued persistently. "That's the only way…so I can catch up to him…."

'_Him?'_ Opal furrowed her eyebrows together. As much as she would love to hear the story, Opal wasn't particularly one to delve into people's pasts. She cleared her throat, "I see…then I guess we should get going, no? Pewter City's kind of far after all."

Tally quickly lifted her head, the look of realization on her face. "Y-You're right! Is there something you have to do before we leave? I mean…I'm all set," Tally asked. Opal bit her lip.

"Yeah, there is. How about I meet you at the entrance of Route 1? I promise I'll be right back," Opal suggested. Tally nodded her head together.

"O-Okay. Take your time," Tally agreed, waving goodbye as she tightly clutched her pokeball and walked down the dusty dirt road, leaving Opal behind. Said girl watched Tally's back disappear from her view before sighing and turning back to the road leading to her house.

Opal gulped nervously as she knocked on the door, waiting for her mom to answer. She heard footsteps and bit her lip.

"Opal?" her mother said as she opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I just…came by to say bye…" Opal murmured quietly, looking anywhere but her mother's worried eyes. The older woman sighed and smiled gently at her only daughter.

"You're having second thoughts, aren't you?" Opal's mother quickly ruffled her daughter's hair. "Don't. Go on your journey, and whatever you do, don't ever regret a single decision you make. Now go on, go make a memorable adventure with Tally!"

Opal rolled her eyes, but her mouth involuntarily turned upwards to form a smile. "Yeah, Mom, I just came over to say bye. Geez, who told you to act all cool? Now, I got to go, Tally's waiting for me," Opal bid her mother farewell and quickly ran back down the road leading to Route 1.

Her mother grinned. Now she had the house to herself.

Opal was quickly out of breath as soon as she saw Tally leaning against the post sign, rolling Horsea's pokeball in her hand. She jogged up, panting. "Sorry for the wait."

"O-Oh, you're back already," Tally gasped, nearly dropping the device containing her precious starter. "A-Are you ready?"

"Yeah…totally," Opal grinned. Tally smiled at Opal's enthusiasm, finding it rather refreshing and infectious.

And thus, their journey began starting with Route 1, known as the road filled with Pidgeys and Ratattas.


	3. Chapter 2: VS Pidgey!

_Chapter 2 is here, hoo-rah!_

_I'll be posting updates weekly every Thursday to the best of my ability. If it's late, I am truly sorry at the inconvenience. Whenever I post an early chapter, it might be due to a special occasion or it might be an early release chapter. Either way, **Thursday **__is the day you should look out for if you're interested in this story._

_And if you are interested in this story, how about leaving a comment? I'd like to know where and how I can improve on this. Any piece of constructive criticism is welcome._

_About Tally's character...well, I'm kind of seeing the typical stuck-up, loud-mouthed brat everywhere now. Maybe it's because I've been reading more shoujo manga, I don't know. Tally's an only children, so that's where she develops her quiet side and seeing as she has strict parents, Tally isn't exactly one who is showered by praise and affection. She's an indoors type of person so she definitely is not athletic. At all. I will say that when the time comes, Tally is surprisingly stronger than Opal in some ways._

_With that said, here's the disclaimer:_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape, or form.**

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><p>Opal groaned. Spearow swooped down, landing a <em>peck <em>on the 100th Ratatta they've encountered on this darn route. It was a good thing Spearow was a strong Pokemon, having saved both girls' butts several times. Horsea was either incredibly weak or incredibly cowardly as it would **not **attack the wild Pokemon at all, which frustrated Opal to no end.

"Good job, Spearow," Opal congratulated, stroking the bird Pokemon's beak, which Spearow liked much to Opal's amusement. Typical bird.

"Roooow," it cooed, soaring in the sky. Opal gave it a small smirk. Although it would not obey her commands, at least Spearow could protect her, unlike a certain blue Pokemon she knew…

"Horsea, come on, please?" Tally called to the shivering blue Pokemon whose eyes were wide and fearful. "I-I need you to battle for me. If you can't then-then-then…" By the end of the "talk", Tally looked as if she was about to burst into tears.

"Listen, Tally, if Horsea doesn't want to battle, why not just capture another Pokemon instead? You have the pokeballs, right?" Opal suggested. Tally sniffled and nodded her head.

"Yes, that's a great idea," Tally agreed, reaching into her bag and pulled out a shiny new red pokeball. Opal smiled but that quickly melted away.

"Woah, hold on a minute. You need something to weaken it. We were taught that Pokemon are much easier to capture that way," Opal explained to Tally, who soaked up the information like a sponge.

"Y-You're right! Absolutely correct. But…you mean, I can't just throw a pokeball like this?" Tally wondered, making the throwing motion with her right arm, but she accidentally let the ball fall from her hand. Tally gasped when it rolled on the floor, immediately chasing after it and paused when it went into the taller grass, hearing the device open up and catch something. "O-Opal? I think something happened…"

"Yeah, no really?" Opal responded sarcastically before shaking her head. "Well, whatever, it doesn't matter. We need to find that pokeball before something damages it or takes it away!"

Tally nodded her head, shaking slightly. She went down in her knees and entered the tall grass, her hands sweeping through the blades. She flinched when she felt it digging and cutting her palms and fingers, but she would not stop until she found that pokeball.

Miraculously, her delicate hands touched something metallic. Her injured fingers immediately grasped it, and she shot out of the grass like a bullet from a gun. "I found it!" Tally announced brightly.

"Awesome, now get out of the grass. Something might attack you!" Opal warned. Despite the advice, a small dark figure jumped out of the grass and head-butted Tally, knocking her down. "Tally!"

"Ouch!" Tally cried out in pain, letting go of the pokeball in her hand and releasing her newly caught Pokemon. Out came a Pidgey, soaring through the air a bit, quite oblivious to its owner's current situation.

"Tally, hold on, I'll be right there!" Opal reassured, though they were quite for apart. The older girl could only hope she would reach Tally in time as she trekked through the grass. Horsea, meanwhile, watched with fear at the scene in front of it.

"H-Help!" Tally cried out fearfully, shielding her face from the attacker with both her arms. The unknown Pokemon lunged forward only to be knocked back by a powerful _tackle _delivered by the Pidgey. Realizing it was no match for the more experienced bird, the attacker quickly fled, leaving behind a dazed trainer-in-training.

"Tally! I'm so sorry! Are you okay? Can you stand?" Opal quickly knelt down, inspecting Tally's wounds. Most weren't deep but the cuts on Tally's hand worried Opal. What if they were infected?

"Yes, I'm fine thanks to…what did I catch?" Tally wondered out loud. As if on cue, the Pidgey swooped down, landing on the ground cleanly and began to groom its wings. Opal stared at it for a while, wondering if that small Pokemon actually managed to save Tally. Then again, Spearow was only a little bit bigger than the Pidgey.

"That's a Pidgey. Hold on…" Opal quickly dug through pockets, finding the pokedex in her jacket's right pocket. "Maybe this will tell us!" Opal pointed the pokedex to the Pidgey. After messing around with the object a bit, Opal managed to find the start button. The pokedex beeped to life.

"**Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. ****A common sight in forests and woods. It flaps its wings at ground level to kick up blinding sand,**" the pokedex identified. Tally stared at it in awe.

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing! Prof. Oak is a genius if he managed to come up with this device!" Tally praised, completely left in awe by the talking mechanical machine. Opal didn't think much of it; she'd already learned that information in school.

"Hey, look, there's more options at the side," Opal said, browsing through the options.

"_Pidgey. Male. Level 5. Nature: Docile. Moves: Tackle, Gust, (New!) Sand Attack. Height: 1'25"; Weight: 5lbs. Stats-_"the pokedex continued to babble on and on until Opal shut it down.

"Phew. This thing never shuts up, does it?" Opal mumbled grumpily. Talk about information overload. And she thought that only happened in movies!

"W-Why'd you shut it off? I thought the information was rather useful…" Tally complained. Pidgey just continued to groom itself, ignoring the two females. If they needed him, they'd just have to order it. Spearow eyed the other bird suspiciously, rather envious of its clean feathers while Horsea was by the roadside, refusing to enter the grass in fear of being attacked.

"Yeah, well, you can play around with it later. We have to get you to the Pokemon Center to get these wounds cleaned up," Opal chastised, helping up the younger females and carefully maneuvered her way through the grass, avoiding random encounters with those dang Ratattas. Pidgey ascended to the air, keeping a keen eye down to make sure his new trainer was not assaulted again.

"Right, I forgot about my wounds," Tally admitted sheepishly. It was then that the pain registered in her brain. Tally winced at Opal's rather strong hold. "O-Ouch…"

"Sorry," Opal apologized, loosening her grip.

"That's okay," Tally excused quietly. They finally made it out of the grass and met up with Horsea, who refused to look at Tally, guilty that it did not save her but a Pidgey did. "Um…return Horsea."

"Sea," it said dejectedly, disappearing in a flash. Tally tucked the pokeball away in her bag. Opal frowned.

"Tally, I think you should teach Horsea a lesson. It clearly saw you getting attacked and did nothing," Opal pointed out, not knowing that Horsea could still hear it. However, Tally had a different opinion of her Pokemon's behavior.

"I-I don't mind. Horsea's not much of a battler, so I don't really want to force it to do something it doesn't want to," Tally defended. Horsea brightened up at its trainer's kind words. Opal rolled her eyes, but she didn't question Tally's opinion. It wasn't like Horsea was her Pokemon in the first place.

"Whatever you say. If I recall correctly, our fieldtrip to Viridian City only took us 30 minutes, but we took a bus. However, considering we've walked for nearly two hours, I'm thinking we're close…" Opal thought out loud. Tally stayed silent, focusing on the scenery and not on the stinging pain coming from her hands. "Hold on…I see buildings! We're here!"

"G-Great…now can you take me to the Pokemon Center?…Or a hospital?" Tally reminded. Opal giggled.

"Don't worry, you don't need to visit the hospital unless we're mauled by something like a Nidoking or something huge. Nurse Joy's perfectly capable of treating your hands and our Pokemon," Opal reassured. Tally let out a sigh of relief.

"Speaking of which…do you know the direction of the Pokemon Center?" Tally asked. Opal paused. That was a good question. From what she remembered, they headed straight, made a left at the corner and near the town the middle….

"Found it!" Opal announced happily. Tally smiled weakly as Opal released her grip on the poor girl's hand. She rubbed her wrists slowly and tenderly, though the blood from the open wounds smeared on the edges of her white cardigan. "Hurry inside Tally. We need to treat your wounds before they're infected and heal our Pokemon."

"R-Right," Tally nodded, walking inside with Pidgey on her head. Tally noted that he wasn't as heavy as she thought he'd be. Opal followed her and leaned against the counter, shoving through the crowds.

"N-Nurse Joy—ack!" Opal was pushed back by the crowd. Opal twitched with annoyance. Angrily, she shoved her way through the waves of trainers, earning lots of dirty glares, but she was so intent on reaching the counter that Opal didn't notice them.

Nurse Joy was a bit surprised at Opal's disheveled look. "Oh my…are you alright?" Nurse Joy asked kindly.

"I'm fine, and so is my Spearow, but my friend and her Pidgey aren't. We encountered a rather naughty Pokemon that attacked us and, well…we need a little healing up," Opal explained sheepishly. She decided to leave out the fact that the Pokemon was a measly Ratatta and that they foolishly walked into tall grass.

"Oh my, I see. I'll be right with you. You may wait in the lobby. In fact, it's just a five minute wait. Now if you'll excuse me…I have other trainers to attend to," Nurse Joy excused herself, turning to the others who shoved pokeballs in her face. Opal shivered as she separated herself from the crowd. Man would she hate that job. Opal then walked over to Tally who sat in a chair by the wall with Pidgey in her lap.

"S-So? When can I get some medicine for my injuries?" Tally asked. Pidgey turned to Opal, the same inquisitive gaze his trainer had. Opal sweatdropped at the uncanny resemblance.

"She'll be right with us in five minutes. Think you can wait?" Opal asked worriedly. Tally nodded her head.

"Y-Yes. I don't mind…I-I know many come here for the gym and whatnot…" Tally murmured. Opal tilted her head.

"Gym? Actually, it's been closed for a while now. Rumors have it that the leader might be involved with Team Rocket, but it's just gossip…" Opal saw Tally's scared expression and quickly changed the subject. "U-Uh, I think most are trainers that come from Viridian Forest. It's supposed to be like a maze I heard."

"Wah, no way!" Tally exclaimed. "How will we navigate our way through?"

"No worries. I'm positive we'll be able to make it through. After all, it's not like we'll be left for the dead. If kids two years younger than me can make it out alive, so can I, right?" Opal laughed. Tally didn't laugh with her, the pain blocked out by her nervousness.

"Tally and Opal? Yes, we have a room ready. Tally, if you could come with me this way and Opal, your Spearow's pokeball?" Nurse Joy came in to interrupt their conversation. Opal quickly handed Prof. Oak's pokeball to the nurse and Tally followed the pink-haired woman into a room down the hall, leaving Opal by herself.

The girl sighed, flopping down on the couch-like seats, and shut her eyes. She was really tired from walking and battling nonstop. Now that she thought about it, she was insanely exhausted, but what about Tally? Poor girl must have been dead. Opal felt guilty for letting the younger girl get attacked. Wasn't it her job to protect Tally?

"Ugh, I knew being a bodyguard was a bad idea," Opal groaned, covering her face with her hands. Her eyelids suddenly became rather heavy and she drifted off to sleep…

* * *

><p>"…pal….up…" Opal's eyes opened at the sound of noise. Realizing that she was not home in her bed, she shot up like a rocket.<p>

"Woah…I fell asleep," Opal mumbled sleepily, running her fingers through her tangled hair. She didn't even bother with her clothes; she needed to change anyways.

"Sorry for the long wait. The Chansey took its time properly tweezing out the grass blades and small rocks and bandaged my hand, see?" Tally thrust her covered hands in front of Opal's face, every finger neatly wrapped up in gauze.

"That's nice…anyways, sorry, I didn't rent us a room. Uh, let me go ahead and—" Opal began; however, Tally quickly cut her off.

"That's okay. In fact, my uncle owns a hotel here. T-Technically, it's a branch and the main is over in Celadon, but he said we can stay there for the time being," Tally explained. Opal's eyes widened.

"Wow, that's so handy!" Opal marveled. Tally blushed.

"Y-Yes. Um, it's called "The Rest Room"," Tally murmured under her breath. That made Opal laugh, causing Tally to turn redder.

"Ahaha, "The Rest Room"? What a funny name," Opal giggled. Tally twiddled with her fingers before remembering something.

"Oh right, here's Spearow's pokeball," Tally handed over the worn-down pokeball back to Opal, who took it graciously.

"Thanks. Hey, hold on a minute okay? I'll make a quick phone call home. Want to use my phone?" Opal asked. Tally quickly shook her head 'no'.

"N-No thank you…" Tally grumbled darkly. Opal found it odd that the normally sweet girl was acting rather gloomy, but she decided not to question it.

"Well, alright. Meet you back here in…ten minutes?" Opal estimated. Tally just shook her head.

"Take your time, I don't mind," Tally assured. Opal grinned before making her way over to a quieter spot and whipped out her phone. She dialed her home number and waited for her mother to pick up. Suddenly, she heard her mother pick up the home phone.

"Hey Mom. I'm calling you from the Viridian Pokemon Center," Opal greeted, rather proud that she made it to Viridian already. Her mother just yawned.

"Oh, wow…that's great…" her mother lazily praised. Opal twitched.

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No, it's called sleepiness. Next time, try not to call at 11:39 pm. In fact, go to sleep young lady!"

"…this is the last time I'm calling you. Goodbye."

"Wait, Opal! I'm just joking, Honey," her mother cried out, suddenly waking up. Opal smirked.

"Good, because I was too," Opal admitted cheerfully. Her mother gave her a glare.

"I hate that about you scaring me like that. You could give me a heart attack!" Her mother exaggerated. Opal put a finger to her chin, thinking.

"You're right…you aren't as young as you used to be," Opal teased. Her mother frowned.

"I'm hanging up…" her mother threatened. Opal laughed.

"Joking, joking. Anyways, I have to go now to meet up with Tally. Night Mom, love you," Opal grinned, bidding her mother goodnight like the good child she was.

"Love you too, Honey. Be careful, okay? Don't forget bug repellant," her mother reminded. Opal nodded before hanging up. She was a bit homesick and she missed her mother dearly. However, she was travelling with Tally now. Speaking of said girl…Opal quickly made her way over to Tally, who was sitting patiently on the couch.

"O-Oh, done already?" Tally asked, quite surprised. Opal nodded.

"Yup. My mom was sleepy and so am I," Opal admitted sheepishly. Tally smiled softly.

"I see. Then we should head over to the hotel to get some rest," Tally suggested. Opal followed the younger girl through the dark streets of Viridian. Unlike Pallet, there were still lights on. The streetlight provided some dim lighting, allowing the two girls to navigate their way through the dark. There weren't many people out and even if they were, they usually kept to themselves. Opal was thankful they weren't on any street that was unsafe. However, where they were heading…

"Um, Tally, you know the way right?" Opal asked nervously. They had been walking for quite sometime now.

"He mentioned it somewhere near the PokeMart…" Tally muttered to herself. Her eyes flashed over to a neon sign. "There it is!"

Opal looked over at a rather tall-looking hotel, with flashing neon signs. There was just something about this building that made her blanche. "Oh my Mew…"

"Here we are," Tally announced rather cheerily. Opal's face paled. If this hotel was what she thought it was…

"T-Tally…what kind of job does your uncle have?" Opal asked carefully. Tally looked a bit confused.

"He says he works for the mature audience," Tally answered truthfully. "Why?"

"Nothing…let's just get inside before, you know..." Tally tilted her head. "…Never mind. Let's get in."

Both girls headed inside. Opal scrunched up her face. There were some rather _suggestive _pictures on the walls and the woman at the counter was definitely wearing something revealing. Tally was either blind or oblivious to not notice her surroundings.

"Hello, welcome to—oh," the woman at the counter frowned with disdain when she saw the two girls enter. "You girls must have the wrong address. Please leave now."

"Don't mind if we do," Opal mumbled, turning around to exit the hotel but froze when she heard Tally chat with the woman.

"Um, excuse me, my uncle is the owner of this hotel. Would you mind if I could speak with your manager?" Tally asked politely. Opal smacked her forehead. Oh the embarrassment.

The woman at the counter did not budge. "Sorry young lady. You and your friend are too young to stay in this hotel."

"Young?" Tally repeated curiously. "There's an age limit?"

"Well, no," the woman admitted truthfully. "However, we need to put up some rules. Cops would be at our necks if they found out we allow people your age to rent rooms here."

"I don't…understand what you mean…" Tally was lost.

"You're too young to stay at a love hot—" the woman was about to break Tally's innocence before Opal stepped in.

"OKAY! I think we've heard enough. Let's go, Tally," Opal quickly interrupted, pushing the girl lightly to the exit. Tally, however, did not get the point of Opal's odd actions.

"Wait, hold on, but…" Tally tried arguing. Opal shot her a look that said 'shut-up', which Tally quickly did.

"Hold on, what's going here?" the manager asked loudly, making his way over towards the duo. "You two, aren't you a bit young to be here?"

"Yes, and we were just leaving," Opal sent the man a quick, polite smile before dragging Tally with to the exit. However, the younger girl stayed put.

"Excuse me? Are you the manager?" Tally asked. The man nodded his head.

"Yes, yes I am. Why, do you need something?" The man responded, quite confused as to why this girl was asking these questions.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Thalia Garrison, and I am the niece of Mathew Houston Garrison, the owner of these hotels," Tally introduced. Opal was a bit surprised at the younger's girl formal tone, not to mention boldness.

"O-Oh my. Please to meet you Ms. Garrison. Is there anything you need?" the manager frantically asked. Tally smiled sophisticatedly.

"Yes, two rooms to be exact. My uncle mentioned that I could stay here for free," Tally said. The manager nodded his head.

"Yes, right this way. I'll be showing you two the best rooms we can offer," the manager promised, gesturing to the staircase.

"But sir, they're minors," the woman at the counter argued. The manager sent her a look.

"One of them is also the niece of the man who write our checks," the manager reminded. That quickly shut the woman up. "Any more arguments?"

"No sir, none at all," the woman answered obediently. Tally quickly followed the manger up, looking over her shoulder to Opal, who was in a daze.

"Are you coming?" Tally called out. Opal quickly shook her head to clear it from all the jumbled thoughts floating around.

"Y-Yeah, coming…" Opal nodded, stumbling after the blonde. The manager led them upstairs and down the right, away from the left where certain noises could be…heard. Opal covered her ears.

"These two are our finest and most private rooms. Here are the keys and, Ms. Garrison, please enjoy your stay," the manager bowed before handing over the room keys. Tally nodded in approval.

"Thank you. I'll be telling my uncle that the manager is quite the fine gentleman," Tally commented. The manager beamed.

"Really? T-Thank you, ma'am. Well, I'll be going now, doing my job and whatnot," the manager excuse himself, mumbling about getting that long-awaited raise. Tally watched him disappear before handing Opal a key.

"H-Here you go," Tally said. Opal took it gingerly.

"Thanks. That was quite impressive. I've never seen you so…" Opal trailed off, unable to put her thoughts into words.

"So assertive? I-It's something that comes naturally from my mother, I guess. Her side of the family is more into business, and my dad's is more into research," Tally explained. Opal spaced out a little.

"Well, my mom's side…I don't know. I haven't met any relatives. And my dad, well, he was dead before I even got to know him, so I have no clue at all," Opal shrugged, her eyes on the ground. Tally noticed the atmosphere got all weird and fiddled with her fingers, a bad habit she picked up.

"I-It's nearly midnight. We should get some r-rest for…t-tomorrow," Tally suggested. Opal nodded her head, all choked up. She bid Tally goodnight and entered her room.

If Opal had been expecting something flashier, she was definitely wrong.

It was well furnished: an animal-print carpet on the floor, numerous glass windows closed by blinds, and a ceiling lamp that made the room glow various colors. The bed was in the middle, covered by lavish sheets and fluffy pillows. Opal lay on her bed, eyes closed as she tried to forget the earlier conversation.

She didn't know when it was she fell asleep, but she did…


	4. Chapter 3: VS Nidoran F!

_Woah, it's not Thursday and I'm uploading. About that...something 'interesting' came up. My internet connection kind of vanished mysteriously on Friday, and by the time it came back, I was already asleep. Thursday was basically me editing two chapter into one. Phoenix Vanguard kindly pointed out that this story was going by slowly, and I would have to agree. _

_Sorry if this is too long for your liking. Or maybe it is to your liking? PM me or review to let me know how long you like your chapters. Last time I checked, it was 17 pages long on Word. _

_And the first of the canon Dex holders makes his appearance! Care to guess who it is? If not, you'll eventually just find out who it is towards the end anyways. To those who were wondering what who the Pokemon was in Viridian Forest, it wasn't Mew. (It's a Pokemon whose name starts with 'K') And cue the disclaimer! _

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>11:43 am.<p>

That was the time Opal woke up. She fell off the bed, startled at how late she had risen. This was bad. If they had hoped to get out of the forest, Tally should have at least woken up her at, say, eight.

Opal was freaking out. She changed out of her clothes and into a new set, having slept in her travelling clothes, after a quick shower. Quickly, she brushed through her thick brown locks, cursing when she encountered several tangles. Finally giving up trying to tame her messy hairdo, she dug through her backpack and stuffed her hair inside a simple baseball cap with her favorite team's logo on it: the Electabuzz Baseball team. Fixing it so it at least looked passable in the mirror, Opal grabbed her pack and ran out, leaving the key on the bedside table.

Opal knocked on Tally's door, calling out her name softly, "Tally. Tally, hey, wake up!"

"Opal?" came a response. Opal took a step back and Tally opened the door, revealing that she was, in fact, awake and ready-to-go, Pidgey and Horsea already out of their pokeballs. "Oh, y-you're awake…"

"Yeah," Opal nodded breathlessly. She looked like a mess compared to Tally. "Sorry about that. Hey, are you ready? I think we can make to Pewter before evening if we go now…"

"P-Pewter can wait…you haven't had breakfast or lunch yet a-and we missed dinner last night," Tally pointed out. As if on cue, Opal's stomach rumbled quite loudly. Unimaginable hunger struck her and Opal blushed in embarrassment.

"R-Right. Sorry…so, er, speaking of lunch…" Opal grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head nervously. Tally giggled.

"Yes, w-we'll be having lunch outside. P-Please excuse me for a moment…" Tally quickly closed the door and when she opened it, her Pokemon were inside their pokeballs and her bag was slung across her shoulders. "A-Alright. Let's get going."

"Awesome. So, where will we be having lunch?" Opal inquired loudly as the girls descended down the stairs. The lobby was empty, the receptionist nowhere in sight. Opal supposed this was due to 'business' being more active at night.

"I don't mind…you can choose. What would you like to eat?" Tally questioned, hand behind her back as they strolled out of the red light district and back into the busy streets of Viridian.

"Hmm…" Opal pondered for a bit before an idea struck her. "I know! Mind going to Machop's Grill? During a visit here, that's where I ate with my classmates."

"O-Okay!" Tally agreed, but frowned. They made their way through the busy streets and found the eating joint quite quickly. Opal had already finished her meal just as Tally began hers.

"Before we head to Viridian Forest, we should take a quick trip to the Pokemart," Opal suggested. Tally nodded her head and quickly finished her grub. The duo strolled towards the direction of the Pokemart, which was, ironically, just down the street. "We'll have to pick up some supplies first."

"B-But, I thought we were running low on cash…" Tally argued. Opal giggled.

"Don't worry, I have my plan," Opal winked. The look in her eyes scared Tally, but the blonde decided to trust the brunette. It wasn't as if Opal was particularly malicious or anything. "Besides, it's better to be safe than sorry, no?"

"You're right," Tally smiled weakly. "Um, Opal, may I ask you a question?"

"Hm?" Opal hummed as they entered the market. Strangely enough, it was empty except for a magazine-reading cashier and the Growlithe that stood guard by her. Opal scanned through the shelves, remembering that the Weedles could poison Pokemon, and grabbed a couple antidotes.

"H-How do you know so much about Pokemon and such?" Tally asked quietly, embarrassed to ask such a personal question to someone she had just met a day ago.

Opal raised an eyebrow at the sudden question, "Well, to be honest, I've grown up with Pokemon all my life. Or, technically not Pokemon, but the general idea. I've watched battles, challenges, read way too many articles, and studied my butt off in school. Twelve years of that prove to be rather useful after all, no?"

"If you know so much, I'm wondering why you haven't gone on a journey yet," Tally absentmindedly commented as she picked up a potion and reading over the description. Opal bit her lip.

"Travelling isn't something I'm fond of. I'd rather settle down in Pallet, doing a normal job or something," Opal answered genuinely, a small smile on her face. "I don't find pleasure in battling, and I'm certainly not a contest girl. I guess I'm just average."

"I think you're f-fine the way you are," Tally encouraged.

"You're pursuing a dream, and I'm, well, I'm still just a kid with no talent or ambition whatsoever. That in itself is amazing," Opal beamed. "To be honest, I'm jealous. By the way, I think we got everything we need."

"A-Are you sure?" Tally asked nervously, twiddling her fingers. They'd finally be entering Viridian Forest, notorious for confusing trainers with its maze-like features and, most importantly, the bug Pokemon it hosted inside.

"Yup!" Opal grinned, though it slowly faded away. "Now the biggest challenge of all at the moment…"

"I'm sure we'll reach Pewter in no time!" Tally announced, a determined fire in her eyes, something Opal hadn't seen before. Was it the opportunity to earn a badge that drove Tally on? Either way, that sort of courage was infectious.

Opal looked at the clock, watching as the seconds ticked away. "Come on, Tally. Let's pay for these and head to Viridian Forest quick."

"R-Right!" Tally nodded, following Opal as the duo headed to the counter. Opal put all her items on the flat surface: three antidotes, two potions, and five pokeballs. The cashier scanned all of them, setting her magazine to the side. Tally bit her lip when the front cover showed another crime Team Rocket did, which unnerved her just a bit.

"That'd be $12.00 please," the cashier drawled out. Opal's eyes widened just a bit.

Furious, she slammed her hand against the counter top, surprising all the other three in the shop, prompting the Growlithe to bark loudly.

"What do you mean $12?" Opal screeched out. "Just a year ago, prices for all these items were $5-6 tops!"

"Listen kid," the cashier hissed darkly, "there are such things called inflation. Ever since this whole Team Rocket shindig popped up, I've been stuck working part-time in this stuffy little shop, serving brats like you. Now shut up and pay up!"

"Geez, I see customer service is the top of your store's priority," Opal sarcastically remarked. Tally watched the exchange nervously, feeling the need to run away. She hated both verbal and physical fights.

"O-Opal?" Tally called out softly, gaining said girl's attention. Opal blushed, embarrassed that Tally had to see her do that. Realizing they were on a time limit, she sent a heated glare at the smirking cashier girl and slammed the bills on the hard surface.

In the end, Opal walked away triumphantly as the part-timer hurriedly tried calming down the Growlithe before it set the whole store on fire.

"Sorry about that," Opal apologized guiltily. "I get worked up over tiny things sometimes."

"I-It's okay," Tally murmured, though she was still in a state of shock. Who would have thought that even Opal could lose her cool in such an unsightly manner? Tally would never tell a soul though.

"Anyways," Opal continued on, pursing her lips as she took out her cellphone, making use of its 'map' options, "at the end of Route 2 is Viridian Forest. Then it'll be up to us for navigation. I doubt I get signals over there."

"W-We can use my Town Map…" Tally said under her breath. Opal, however, heard. The girl spun around, grabbing Tally's shoulder, which caused the girl to squeak in surprise.

"Did you say you have a map?" Opal asked, eyes shining like stars. Tally dumbly nodded, unable to find her voice. "You are a lifesaver! I mean we can so totally make it out before it gets too dark! Tally, you're an awesome travelling partner!"

"Thank you," Tally flushed brightly, not used to being praised in such manner. The only compliments she had gotten from her parents were, well…the only time they ever seemed to approve of her actions was when she announced she would leaving on her journey. They seemed so eager to have her out of the house and honestly, Tally felt more relieved when she left Pallet than she ever had in her entire life.

"Mind handing me the map?" Opal casually inquired. Tally jumped before rummaging through her bag, pulling out a rather large map. Opal gingerly took it, opening the piece of paper and scanning through the contents. "Aha! Nice map, Tally. Very descriptive."

"O-Oh really? Thank you," Tally smiled, her cheeks growing redder. If Opal continued to praise her nonstop, Tally would just be spoiled silly. In her father's eyes, praises were only meant for those that earned it.

"So, from the entrance, we go a little to the west, then north, then west again, then south and…" Opal began walking forward, unaware that she was, in fact, walking straight into tall grass. Tally jumped, startled.

"Opal, hold on! Y-You're walking into tall grass!" Tally yelled out, running after the girl. Opal barely heard her, lowering the map to see Tally catching up.

"What are you—WOAH!" Opal screamed as she hit the floor, dodging a _poison sting _aimed for her head. She crouched low, looking ahead to see that her attacker was a small blue Pokemon with a horn on its head, a vicious smirk on its tiny little mouth.

"Nido!" it cried out, opening its mouth wide and sending out another array of _poison stings_. Opal acted quickly, hiding deeper into the tall grass. She sucked in her breath when one was an inch away from grazing her hand.

"Want to play rough, huh?" Opal muttered under her breath. Grabbing, Spearow's Pokeball, she quickly sent out her only Pokemon. "Go, Spearow!"

"Roooow!" it screeched out, swooping down towards the dotted blue Pokemon swiftly, delivering a _fury attack _before soaring through the skies once more. The creature growled weakly, barely surviving the second attack.

"Raaaan!" it screamed, about to make a retreat. Opal grinned.

"Yeah, good job Spearow. Beating Nidorans like that are a piece of cake for you!" Opal cheered loudly. The Nidoran's ear twitched agitatedly. It stopped in its tracks, circling around to run straight at Opal. However, the brunette noticed too late and by the time Spearow could reach her, its **Poison Point** ability would take effect.

"P-Pidgey, _sand attack_!" Tally ordered firmly, releasing the brown bird. It quickly kicked up a dust cloud, one that the Nidoran ran right into, blinding it and effectively throwing it off course. Opal gaped as she jumped back, sending a grateful look at Tally.

"Nido!" the little blue devil broke away from the sand cloud, changing its target to Tally now. Considering it would be rather weak now, Tally took out a pokeball and chucked it at the incoming little menace. Her breath hitched as it continued to shake until finally, the marvelous 'click' noise resonated throughout the empty clearing.

And then, there was silence.

That is, until Opal started laughing, which prompted Tally to giggle along the teen. Maybe it was from the nerves, but both girls were feeling rather giddy now.

"Well, that was certainly entertaining," Opal remarked offhandedly as she fixed her outfit, trying to brush as much dirt as she could with her hands, which wasn't much. "I'll be keeping Spearow out now. Want me to heal your Nidoran now?"

"T-That's be nice," Tally murmured. Opal grabbed the pokeball off the floor, releasing the Pokemon inside. It snarled and growled, but made no effort to actually harm Opal now.

"…I can tell we'll get along just fine," Opal forced a smile, purposefully spraying the potion on the more painful wounds. The Nidoran howled in pain, jumping back and baring its teeth at Opal who smirked back. "Now, what seems to be the problem, Nidoran?"

"Ran! Nido-do!" it barked, knowing full well that Opal was toying with it. Tally watched the exchange silently, sighing.

"I think I'll heal Nidoran myself Opal," Tally said, taking the potion bottle from the brunette's hands and sprayed its contents onto a handkerchief, gently patting the piece of cloth on Nidoran's wounds. It purred and nuzzled Tally's gentle hands, making sure it wouldn't accidentally poke its trainer with its poisonous horn.

"Wow, you're pretty good at that Tally," Opal marveled. Sure, she passed Health class (So she had a C-. That's still a passing grade, mind you!), but watching someone with no experience prior to healing Pokemon impressed Opal very much.

"I-I went to a doctor's convention in Saffron City," Tally explained modestly as she continued to administer the treatment. The Nidoran shook its fur a little after Tally put the empty potion bottle away, keeping it in her mind to recycle them.

"Do, ran! Ni!" the Nidoran said, its eyes glowing as it watched Tally stand up, though its stare turned into a bitter glare when Opal drew attention to herself by clearing her throat.

"Shall we proceed?" Opal gestured to the route opening, a rest stop separating the dangerous forest from the city. Tally nodded, putting Nidoran back into her pokéball, smiling ever so softly. The feeling of catching a Pokemon seemed to never grow old; honestly, it was the best feeling in the world.

"Yes." With that said, they entered the building. Tally looked around the room, eyes widening at the sight of Pokemon. Some of them she had never seen before, but she did recognize the Pidgeys, Nidorans, and Spearows. Opal frowned, wondering why there were so many trainers in the lobby with injured Pokemon.

Alas, her question had been answered almost straight away.

"Hold it there, brats!" someone shouted. Tally and Opal looked behind their backs to see a grown man approach them with black clothing a large 'R' on his shirt. Tally held her breath: a Rocket! "An important Pokemon is living in that forest at the moment. You need to get past me to enter!"

"So be it," Opal grimaced, holding Spearow's pokeball. Tally, however, grabbed Opal's arms, surprising the older female. "Huh? What are you doing Tally?"

"My first Pokemon battle, p-please?" Tally begged quietly. Opal looked into the girl's huge eyes and sighed, lowering her arm as Tally release it from her grip.

"Okay…" Opal mumbled. Tally grinned ecstatically, calling out Pidgey who crooned and flapped its wings. The grunt laughed.

"A Pidgey? Please," the man chuckled, releasing a big brown rat like creature with buckteeth. Opal shivered when she realized it reminded her of a certain purple Pokemon. "Go Raticate!"

Opal pointed the pokedex on the snarling rat Pokemon. "**Raticate, the Rat Pokemon. ****It uses its whiskers to maintain its balance. It apparently slows down if they are cut off,**" the pokedex beeped out.

"Huh, this thing is actually pretty useful," Opal mused, putting it back to her jacket pocket. That action, however, did not go unnoticed by the grunt.

"Hey! That's a pokedex!" he cried out in disbelief. Opal glared at him.

"And? How do you know about it?" Opal questioned, hands on her hips. The grunt smirked.

"How about we make a deal?" the Rocket grunt offered. "If your friend wins, I'll leave and go on my merry way. But if I win, you hand me over that pokedex."

"W-What?" Opal gaped, hands immediately grasping the red device in her pocket fearfully. This was the only way she could possibly find the thief and live her life peacefully in Pallet without her conscience nagging at her. "You…"

"Opal, please, we need to get to Pewter and…" Tally looked down at her shoes. Opal bit her lip; she knew what Tally had meant to say.

Not wanting to disrespect the young trainer, Opal gulped nervously and faced the Rocket grunt. "All right," Opal sighed, "we have a deal."

"Hah!" the Rocket grunt laughed manically. "It's like having my promotion handed to me!"

Tally looked on with a fiery determination, while Opal felt the need to close her eyes.

The next minutes proved to be the most nerve-wracking in her entire journey.

Opal analyzed the situation: a Pidgey versus an evolved Pokemon. Things didn't look too good considering that the Rocket had defeated several other trainers and Tally wasn't quite the best battler around.

"Tally, good luck," Opal encouraged. Tally just smiled back nervously, her eyes focused solely on the battle.

"Raticate, go for a _bite_!" the grunt ordered. The brown mouse bared its fangs and leapt at the airborne bird. Opal held her breath, fearful for Pidgey.

"Pidgey, _sand attack _and dodge it with a _quick attack_!" Tally ordered quickly. She had seen that tactic on TV. Whilst the Geodude blindly went for a _tackle,_ the Pidgey made use of its faster movements to dodge and blind its opponent.

Pidgey moved back with the help of _quick attack_, the Raticate's teeth grazing its tail feathers. Letting out an angry squawk, Pidgey kicked some dust into the Raticate's eyes, blinding the bigger Pokemon. Opal had to wonder where the sand came from, but the lack of air going into her brain made her quickly forget the question.

"Hmph," the man grunted, agitated that he couldn't take down the little bird. "You're smarter than you look, but can you dodge a _hyper fang_?"

As if on cue, the Raticate lunged forward, catching the Pidgey by its side. It let out a painful cry, making Opal wince and Tally panic.

"P-Pidgey!" Tally called out, worried for her Pokemon's health. "Hang on…please!"

Opal bit her lip, trying to think of a strategy. The only advantage she could think of was…

"Tally! Quick, remember what the pokedex said?" Opal asked swiftly. Tally thought for a second as Pidgey recollected himself, flapping his wings as it weakly went up in the air again.

An idea struck Tally. "Pidgey, up in the air again!" Tally quickly ordered. Opal's eyes widened; did Tally understand? "Surround it with _gust_! Aim for the whiskers!"

Opal grinned; Tally got her message. The Raticate ran around in a circle, not knowing what to do as it was stuck _inside _the attack, occasionally taking damage as it tried escape. It cried out painfully as the high winds grazed against its whiskers. Tally had to block out the miserable sound. The Rocket grunt grit his teeth.

"Raticate, you useless mouse! Another _hyper fang_!" the man commanded. Opal frowned at how he treated Raticate, as if the Pokemon couldn't hear him. To him, it was an object, not a creature with feelings just like them. Although she wasn't particularly close to Spearow, Opal wouldn't dare address Spearow in such a churlish way.

"Pidgey, don't let it touch you and continue with the _gust _assault!" Tally said, determined to win against the uncouth grunt. "You can do it!"

"Cut with the 'you can do it' crap," the grunt snarled. "Only the strongest win and if that darn Raticate can't, well, obviously it's just a loser."

"Tally, you can't let that guy win now," Opal glared at the man, furious about his attitude to not only his Pokemon, but towards Tally as well. "Go for it!"

"Right!" Tally agreed. She and Pidgey shared a glance, and to her, it seemed as if Pidgey seemed to agree with what they were trying to say. "Let's finish this off Pidgey! _Gust_, full power!"

Pidgey flapped his wings. The wind around Raticate began to pick up, forming into tornado like things. Quickly, the tornados began to swirl and surround Raticate, cutting and slashing against its skin as the tornados began to collide, creating a strong wind. Tally covered her eyes and protected herself with her arms, the wind pushing her back slightly. Opal leaned against the walls, trying to catch a peek. All she saw was Pidgey trying to catch its balance and Raticate on the floor in the middle of the windy chaos. The Rocket grunt, too, was thrown off balance, laying on the floor and cursing at Pidgey. All the other trainers were trying their best to protect themselves and their Pokemon.

As soon as the winds died down, it was obvious who had won. Pidgey, tired and exhausted, proudly stood next to the unconscious Raticate. The grunt shakily got up, mouth open wide.

"What-how-WHY?" he shouted angrily to no one in particular. Tally looked at the Raticate breathlessly.

"I won…I won!" Tally cheered, picking up Pidgey and hugging it tightly. Opal finally exhaled the breath she had been holding in, grinning mischievously at the grunt.

"As for our little bet, I believe it's time for you to go," Opal reminded, hands on her hips. The grunt mumbled something under his breath before recalling his Raticate and promptly left the scene. The others trainers cheered; they could finally enter Viridian Forest now! Opal looked over to Tally, who was treating Pidgey's injuries. "Ready to go?"

"Y-Yes!" Tally said brightly, beaming as she put away the potion and called Pidgey back into its Pokeball. "Thank you Pidgey."

"By the way…congratulations on winning. I didn't know what I would do if I lost the pokedex," Opal commended happily. Tally blushed as she looked down towards the ground shyly.

"A-Actually…I should be thanking you. Anyone else in your position would have…" Tally trailed off, the cheerful tone disappearing. Opal shrugged.

"Tally, I saw how much you wanted to win…how much you determination you had," Opal casually mentioned, making Tally look up, surprised. "What kind of person would I be if I took that away? Besides, I had faith in you. Despite what anyone say, you're tough. Tougher than me, I suppose."

Tally was speechless after Opal's kind words. Opal…believed in her? The feeling she had right now was new. This feeling of…accomplishment? Pride? Gaining Opal's trust and respect felt nice, Tally thought with a smile.

"Next stop…Pewter City," Opal announced proudly as they left the rest house and into Viridian Forest. They stepped outside and…

_Cricket…cricket….cricket._

Opal hadn't expected this at all. Not only was the forest maze-like, it was dark, as in _very _dark. She could hear movement everywhere and suspected that it was infested with all kinds of bug Pokemon. With that thought in mind, she released Spearow to protect the duo, earning herself a curious look from Tally.

"Just in case," Opal said, smiling reassuringly to Tally as if to say 'don't worry, we're not going to be mobbed'. Tally nodded, understanding what Opal was saying and released her newly caught Nidoran. "Not using Horsea?"

"N-No…I don't want to force it to fight. S-So I'll stick to Nidoran since Pidgey fought hard today," Tally explained. Opal shrugged her shoulders. At least Nidoran could fight. Unbeknownst to the two girls, Horsea could hear exactly what they were saying. It sat dejectedly in its pokeball while Nidoran happily trotted next to Tally (sending occasional glares to Opal) as the pair tried to navigate their way through the forest.

This continued on for nearly fifteen minutes. Frankly, Opal was getting a bit tired and knowing Tally, the girl must have been too. All she had been doing was trying to follow the small patches of sunlight that seeped through, unable to read the map in such a dark place. Even Spearow was a little exhausted from flying, resting on Opal's shoulders. Nidoran, however, busily ran ahead, sniffing at the ground curiously, though it did pause just awhile to allow the trainers to catch up.

"Tally…want to take a break?" Opal suggested wearily. Tally nodded her head.

"Y-Yes…that'd be nice," Tally sighed, relieved to get a little rest. They found a spot free from Pokemon and sat down, drinking some water and catching their breaths. Spearow crooned, leaving Opal's shoulder to settle on a branch. Nidoran curled up near Tally, closing its eyes for just a little while.

Opal drank half of her water bottle before putting it away. In the process, she accidentally dropped the pokedex. "Oh shoot!" Opal gasped, quickly picking it up and rubbing the dirt off. "Phew…"

"Is it okay?" Tally asked, eyes filled with worry for the piece of machinery.

"Yeah," Opal grinned. However, it was quickly wiped off when it began to shine a red light. "What the…?"

"H-Hey…do you think the thief i-is…?" Tally gasped. Opal bit her lip, sharing a look with Spearow.

"We won't know until we confront the pokedex holder themselves!" Opal said fiercely. She grabbed her pack and began to walk away from the resting grounds, Spearow flying above her head. Tally followed in suit, picking up the dozing Nidoran and rushing after the jogging female.

"W-What if the person's dangerous?" Tally wonder aloud. Opal winced. That was something that had been bothering her as well.

"W-We have Spearow…right Spearow?" Opal weakly smiled up at the bird Pokemon. It seemed to nod and Opal felt some of her worry vanishing. If Prof. Oak trusted her with his Spearow and precious pokedex, then that must mean he felt that Opal could catch the thief. Opal clenched her fist; she wouldn't let him down now.

"O-Opal…slow down! The signal is…" Tally panted. Opal grit her teeth. It was true, the signal was disappearing. But…how? She was so sure that they were close yet…

"Moltres!" Opal muttered as she halted to a stop. Tally caught up to her, heavily breathing. "The signal…it's lost. The thief got away."

"O-On the bright side…all that running got us through. W-We're finally out!" Tally pointed out brightly. Opal forced a smile.

"Yeah…"

Tally noticed Opal's dim mood and tried cheering her up, "H-Hey. That means if the thief ran through Viridian Forest, they must have visited Pewter City. We can look for them there!"

Opal lifted her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You're right! I never thought about it that way and yet…"

Tally beamed. It seemed as if Opal's spirit had been renewed. "S-So…let's get to Pewter to get my new badge and catch the thief!"

"Totally!" Opal cheered, sprinting towards the exit of Viridian. Tally, not quite recovered yet, groaned.

"Hold on!" Tally whined, trying her best to keep up with Opal's speed. They sped through the dark forest and into the glorious bright light at the end. The duo didn't even pause to catch their breath; their whole attention was focused onto getting into Pewter City.

Opal's eyes lit up as the dirt road suddenly transformed into paved cement. She had never been so happy to come to Pewter. There was this one time she and her mother visited the museum, and there was this other time she had come here for a field trip. She had never imagined a route worse than Route 1 (now nicknamed the "Rattata Hive"), but getting through Virdian Forest was just a nightmare.

She stopped to catch her breath and to wait for Tally, who was now walking, too fatigued to run. Opal leaned down to read the sign, bright red letters saying 'Welcome to Pewter City, A Stone Gray City!' Her eyes scanned the map, taking into account where the Pokemon Center, PokeMart, and gym were. She took note that Pewter seemed a lot bigger than Pallet, but remained close to Viridian in terms of size. She vaguely wondered if that was because the forest connected the two cities.

"Opal!" Tally huffed. Nidoran looked fine, used to running around, but she didn't want to leave her trainer behind. "I finally caught up to you! Thank goodness…"

"Sorry, Tally! I just had this feeling of anxiety, you know?" Opal apologized. Tally sighed before nodding.

"Yes, I understand," Tally murmured. Her eyes wandered over toward the brown-roofed building, standing on a hill, away from the rest of the buildings. Opal followed her gaze, sympathetically patting Tally's shoulder.

"Don't worry, okay? You'll do fine. Pidgey and Nidoran are tough cookies, you got it?" Opal reassured enthusiastically. Tally forced herself to return a smile. Yes, she'd do just fine…

"Oh, right! Where do you think that thief went?" Tally suddenly asked. Opal bit her lip, pondering.

"If I were a Poke-thief, I would definitely avoid the Pokemon Center, but…" Opal muttered, thoughtful. "…I give up. I think it's better if we look around tom-"

Just then, the pokedex beeped back to life once more. Opal nearly dropped it, shocked. Tally and Opal shared a look before Opal smirked.

"Well, I guess the thief just walked right into us!" Opal brightly announced. Tally groaned at the mere prospect of running again, something Opal noticed. "So, uh, I think I can handle this alone. You go rest up at the Center!"

"Y-You sure?" Tally asked. She didn't want to leave Opal alone, but her shoes were giving her blisters…

"Yeah, I'll catch up to you," Opal said. She saw Tally's worried look and gave her a thumbs-up. "Definitely."

"Okay, I'll get us a room this time!" Tally said, determined. Opal nodded her head before departing, holding the device out as it beeped, earning herself quite a few stares. Tally watched Opal disappear into the crowd, hands clasped tightly together. Even though she said that….

Tally entered the Pokemon Center shyly, head ducked down as she made her way towards the counter. Nurse Joy wasn't all too busy, the Chansey managing to take care of the injured Pokemon all by themselves. The pink-haired nurse approached the nervous girl.

"How may I help you today?" Nurse Joy asked pleasantly. Tally blinked before her voice got stuck in her throat. What was she going to ask again?

"I-uh-I-well, I mean…" Tally stuttered, unable to get her point across. Nurse Joy looked at Tally in confusion.

"I'm sorry, I don't…" Nurse Joy trailed off. Tally flushed. Even she couldn't describe the situation with words.

"She's probably asking for a room," a loud, demanding voice explained for Tally. She jumped in her spot, glancing behind her shoulder to see a spiky-brown haired male with deep green eyes standing just a few feet away. He wore a purple long-sleeved shirt with black pants. The one thing that caught Tally's eyes was the pendant he wore.

"Is that true?" Nurse Joy asked, recapturing Tally's attention. Tally nodded her head vigorously. "For one person?"

"N-No…two," Tally murmured. Nurse Joy smiled before handing a key over to Tally.

"Enjoy your stay," Nurse Joy chirped happily. Tally weakly smiled before snatching the key and scurrying away. As she passed the boy, however, she paused to a stop.

"Um…thank you," Tally whispered. The boy just looked at her for a while, which made Tally red.

"…Hmph. You won't stand a chance against Brock. I bet that kid has a better chance than you," the boy cockily commented, hands tucked in his pocket as he went up to Nurse Joy, handing over a staggering pile of pokeballs.

Tally blinked before she began fuming in her head. How rude! And to think she thought he was a nice guy…

Meanwhile, Opal had been searching the streets in pursuit to find the thief. Spearow was out and about. Unfortunately for Opal, the pokedex's batteries had run out, meaning it was now completely useless. It must be due to the fact that it was only a prototype, which meant it still had a ton of bugs.

Looking up at Spearow, it seemed as though it had a nostalgic look in its eyes.

"See anyone familiar yet, Spearow?" Opal called out to the bird. It soared through the air for a while and came back down to Opal's shoulder, cooing. Opal took that as a 'yes'.

The next event had happened so quickly for Opal.

Spearow had taken off, leaving Opal behind. Opal, startled, immediately took off running after the bird, pushing her way through the crowd, which earned her dirty looks. The girl didn't care; she just didn't want to lose Spearow.

Eventually, the crowd thinned out and all that was left was Spearow hovering over a boy two years younger than her—Tally's age—who looked burned out as he held a Pikachu in place. The little mouse clearly looked upset to be even near the boy.

"Hold it!" Opal yelled at the boy. He looked startled, immediately letting go of the Pikachu. It scampered off and hid behind Opal. Said girl looked down to see the most adorable puppy-dog face ever.

"A-Ah! Pika, hold on!" the boy called out. Opal glared the black-haired boy. She took in his messy features: the ruffled hair, burnt red-and-white jacket, crumpled black shirt and faded blue jeans. At first, Opal hesitated when she looked into his honest red eyes, but…

"Don't come any closer!" Opal warned. She didn't know how threatening she looked, but Spearow had her back. "You're…You're the thief Professor Oak was talking about, aren't you?"

"Thief…?" the boy gaped stupidly. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't act dumb with me!" Opal shouted. The boy flinched at the volume. "Spearow, this is him, isn't it?"

Opal turned to the bird Pokemon, half-expecting it to swoop down on the boy, but to her surprise, the bird simple hopped down and approached the boy calmly. It tapped it beak on a pokeball, and Opal gaped as it wiggled in response.

"Spearow, what are you doing?" Opal cried out in disbelief. Spearow ignored her cries and the boy, understanding what Spearow was trying to tell him, released the Pokemon inside.

"Saur!" a green grass-type Pokemon said. Opal blinked, before her jaw dropped open. It was not a Squirtle.

"Um, meet Saur, my Bulbasaur," the boy introduced sheepishly. "I didn't steal him, honestly. I got him from Professor Oak."

"…Oh," was all Opal could say. "Er…sorry."

"It's okay," the boy shrugged. "Can I have my Pikachu back?"

"Huh? Oh, sure," Opal bent down to pick up the mouse. It twitched, but allowed itself to be carried. However, it squirmed fervently when Opal handed it over to the mysterious young boy. "It doesn't like you."

"I know," he sighed. He set it down and the mouse Pokemon stubbornly sat on the floor, unmoving. "Um, my name's Red by the way, from Pallet Town."

"You're from Pallet, too?" Opal gasped. She didn't even recognize him. "Wow, sorry! I didn't even…"

"No, it's fine. I didn't recognize you either," Red scratched the back of his neck. "Er, your name was…?"

"Huh? Oh right!" Opal shook her head, trying to regain her composure. "My name's Opal."

"Opal, huh?" Red repeated it, trying to get used to saying the unique name. "Opal. I got it. I'll never forget the girl who accused me of being a pokethief."

"Aha-ha," Opal laughed nervously. "Sorry, really. Professor Oak did say he gave away two starters, but I didn't know what they looked like."

"No, it's okay," Red shrugged nonchalantly. "I got the Bulbasaur, but the one who got Charmander is a jerk named—"

"Green Oak?" Opal finished for Red. He looked taken aback. "I know him. We went to the same nursery school, but that's about it. I didn't know he went off on his journey."

"Oh, wow." Red looked quite shocked. "But still, I've never seen you around before. From what part of Pallet are you from?"

"Near the sea," Opal replied, reminiscing. "Every summer, I'd work in the Lab because I lived so close to it."

"That's cool," Red nodded sagely. Opal laughed at the image. "I caught my first Pokemon there, after nearly drowning."

"No way!" Opal gasped. "So _you're _that boy? Man, everyone was talking about you during the first day of school because of that!"

"Ehehehe, really?" Red grinned, feeling a sense of pride in that. "I was just so excited because I was told not to play near the sea because of Pokemon, but you know…every kid has the dream of being Pokemon Master."

"Not every kid," Opal shrugged. Red gave her a curious look, but Opal just shook her head. "So…Pokemon Master, huh? That's a tough dream to accomplish."

"I know, I already have a rival," Red grumbled glumly. Opal just nodded her head, not quite knowing the feeling. "But I'll beat Brock before him, just you watch! Even if Pikachu won't fight for me!"

"You're challenging Brock, too, huh?" Opal raised her eyebrow, not quite expecting that. "My friend seems to want to do the same. You know you'll have to fight through a series of trainers to get to him, right?"

"I know!" Red's eyes shined with excitement. "My team and I toughened ourselves up in Viridian Forest. There's no way Poli and Saur will lose to Brock!"

Opal giggled at Red's enthusiasm. "Don't forget about Pika, here," Opal reminded warmly, stroking Pika's chin. The Pikachu mewled contentedly.

"Bah! He won't listen to me," Red frowned, crossing his arms as he tried to think of the reason why. "Come to think about it, Pika's been a rebel since I caught it."

"It isn't the Pokemon at fault," Opal said as she stood up, dusting herself off. Red watched her with mild curiosity. "It's a trainer's job to give their Pokemon all the love and understanding they ever could. A wise man told me that once."

Red was silent as Opal recalled Spearow into its pokeball. She began to walk away, but Red quickly called out, "H-Hey, wasn't that what Professor—"

"When are you challenging Brock?" Opal quickly interrupted. She smiled at Red, who just blinked.

"Uh…tomorrow. P-Probably right after he opens up," Red blurted out. Opal looked thoughtful for a second before nodding her head.

"Okay, I got it," Opal remarked. "I'll watch your match tomorrow to see how well you fare."

"You don't think I'll win?" Red reeled back, somewhat insulted. Opal shook her head.

"There's no denying that you're tough. I mean, you already have three Pokemon," Opal pointed out. Red could sense a 'but' coming in. "But…"

"But what?" Red asked quickly. Opal paused for a moment, debating whether or not she should tell him.

"But, there's no trust between you and your Pikachu. If you aren't able to connect with your Pokemon, I doubt you could beat a gym leader as tough as Brock," Opal shook her head. "I've seen gym matches before. And the only trainers that I've seen who've won are those that are extremely strong, or those who are able to communicate with their Pokemon without speaking. Out there on the rink, it's tough to get up when you have nothing to look forward to."

"How do you…?" Red was dumbstruck. It was then that Opal realized she had been away from Tally for too long.

"W-Will you look at the time?" Opal hastily pointed out. Red noticed it was now sunset, which surprised him. "I have to go back now, but I think you should take this time to train." And with that, Opal scurried off, leaving behind a very confused but pumped up Red.

* * *

><p>Once again, very, very sorry. As an apology, I'll give you guys a sneak peek of the next chapter:<p>

. _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ _. _ . _ . _ . _ . _ ._

_ "**Ember**," the boy commanded. And just like that, the battle was over. Tally could tell that Nidoran wouldn't survive an **ember **at that close of a range and she ran forward to pick up her fallen Nidoran. She didn't know why but tears were sliding down he face once more._

_ "I can't believe it…" Tally murmured, hugging her Nidoran close. With his hands in his pockets, the boy walked up to where his Charmander stood, looking down at Tally. _

_ "Crying over your Pokemon…you haven't been a trainer for that long, have you?" the boy questioned. Tally shook her head. "It's obvious at the way you handled the battle. You went for such conspicuous techniques that it was easy to see through your plans. Relying on your Pidgey's agility and your Nidoran's attack may work on people who're weaker than you, but it won't work on those that are stronger."_

_ "…" Tally remained silent, unable to find a decent argument against his words._

_ "It's okay to trust your Pokemon; it's okay to believe in them," the boy continued on. "But you also have to acknowledge that there will always be people who are stronger. And then, believing in your Pokemon won't be enough. If you truly want to be a good trainer, then you have train your Pokemon. Frankly, they're weak when they're with you because you aren't pushing them to their maximum potential." _

_ The boy looked around and noticed that the sun was setting soon. "Cry there if you want, but I have to get going."_

_ With that said, the boy walked away, leaving Tally to herself._

_. _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ _. _ . _ . _ . _ . _ .__

Care to guess who the trainer is? I bet most of you can guess correctly.


	5. Chapter 4: VS Charmander!

_Here's the new chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it. I decided to make it shorter, so my average word count will be around 4,000 now. Hopefully it's long enough to please you guys. _

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Opal stood in the Pokemon lobby, eating her breakfast silently. Spearow sat next to her, ruffling his fathers next to an empty bowl. She had returned to the Pokemon Center soon after her encounter with Red, but she couldn't find Tally anywhere. When she awoke, still no sign of Tally. That worried Opal a bit, but the note she found seemed legit.<p>

_Opal, I'm very sorry, but I'll be training in Viridian Forest. I met someone who made me realize that I need to start training. You were right about Horsea; please look after him! –Tally_

Opal stared blankly at the blue Pokemon who met her gaze fearfully. She sighed, before looking away. It wasn't as if she hated Horsea or anything; the blue sea Pokemon was just too hard to get along with. Maybe she should take her own advice sometimes.

Eye wandering, Opal looked up at the clock. It read 8:57, so she decided to leave for the gym if she wanted to see Red's battle. There was no doubt that the boy would be there.

"Spearow, return," Opal recalled quietly. The bird nodded his head before it disappeared back into the ball. Horsea jumped a bit, wondering if it would recalled as well, but Opal just shook her head. "Um…I guess I'll be carrying you around."

"Sea?" Horsea tilted its head. Just as Opal's finger brushed against, Horsea immediately squirmed away. It gave Opal a look; one that showed it was still rather uncomfortable to human touch. Opal wondered why it didn't fear Tally any more.

"…Well, if you're that stubborn, how am I supposed to take you with me to the gym? It's not like we're in water or anything," Opal sighed. Horsea just shivered under the table, away from Opal's reach. "Okay, fine. Want to stay here instead?"

"Sea, horse!" Horsea fervently shook his head. Of course it didn't! Opal shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine. Try to keep up okay?" Opal gathered her things and got up. Horsea stared after Opal curiously before hopping along, keeping a safe 3 feet distance away from the girl. This attracted some looks, but it didn't deter Opal at all. By the time they reached the gym entrance, Horsea looked sunburned and dead.

"Sea…" it murmured out weakly. Opal glanced down and groaned. Without saying anything, she scooped Horsea up who tried to wiggle out, though it was much too weak to do a lot.

"Don't move around so much!" Opal ordered. Horsea froze at the command. "Listen…I don't know why you're so cautious around me and Tally, but stop, okay? We're not here to hurt you or force you to do anything. At least not Tally. Just relax."

Opal peered down at the blue Pokemon and blinked in surprise when she found it looking back up. It quickly adverted its crimson eyes when it realized that Opal had caught it staring, but that action surprised the girl very much. Was Horsea opening up?

"You're not so bad now, are you?" Opal whispered soothingly. Horsea began to relax.

Opal hesitantly began to stroke Horsea's head. The Pokemon flinched, but it eventually began to relax to the benign touch. Opal brought Horsea closer to her chest, covering its eyes with her arm. She entered the gym like this quickly and found a spot in the near deserted benches away from the rest of the trainers. Scanning the crowd, Opal didn't spot the red-capped trainer. She frowned; where was Red?

"Opal!" she heard her name being called out. Opal looked down to see Red waving at her. She laughed before waving back, earning her a curious look from Horsea. Poli and Saur were waving as well, which earned them some attention from the other competitors, but Red didn't care. He was going to win anyways.

"**The first match will be Red versus George**!" the PA system announced. Red jumped before entering the rink audaciously, Poli and Saur in tow. A big man came in as well, followed by a menacing Geodude. Opal cupped her hands around her mouth, making sure not to drop Horsea in the process.

"Good luck!" Opal cheered. Red just gave her a thumbs-up, not bothering to turn around as he stared at the rock Pokemon. Opal just shook her head exasperatedly, though she knew that Red was a serious trainer to begin with.

"**Battle…BEGIN**!"

As if by magic, the crowd erupted into a series of screams, cheers, and hoots. Opal covered her ears from the volume as Horsea sank deeper into Opal's open jacket in an attempt to block out some noise. Gradually, the gym began to fill up with competitors and spectators alike, none of them being Tally or Green.

"Saur, finish this quickly with a _razor leaf_!" Red ordered. The tiny bulb dinosaur shook its end in the air for a bit as its bulb enlarged before sharp leaves spun across the boxing square and hit the Geodude's face. Of course, that knocked out the ground-type quite easily, earning Red the first win.

"Bul-ba!" Saur grinned as he returned to Red. Red patted it on its head.

"Way to go, Saur!" Red encouraged. Opal couldn't help but smile. The relationship between Saur and Red was strong, and there was no doubt that Poli was close to its trainer, but it was Pika that worried her. What if he had to rely on the electric-type to win?

"Come on, Red…keep it up," Opal whispered under her breath, hugging Horsea close. The battles continued. Some intrigued Opal, yet others merely bored her. Opal checked the clock, sighing tiredly as she realized that two hours had already passed. When was Brock appearing?

"**After several battles, only one trainer has come this far!**" the PA system announced. Opal jumped a little in surprise. "**Congratulation to Red! And now, Brock will accept your challenge!**"

"Red made it," Opal breathed, feeling relieved. She knew that she shouldn't doubt Red, but seeing Poli's and Saur's condition slightly unnerved her. "Come on, Red. What will you do now?"

Opal watched with curiosity as Red disappeared to the back room. Brock came out, his Onix standing behind him intimidatingly. Horsea had been watching all the battles. At first, Opal could see that Horsea was incredibly uncomfortable, but gradually it began to watch them with interest. Could it be that Horsea was breaking out of its shell?

"Horsea, pay attention to the next battle," Opal muttered to the Pokemon. It lifted its blue head, attentive. Opal frowned when she saw Red usher Pika onto the stage. He wasn't as confident as he was before. "This is what happens when a Pokemon who doesn't trust their trainer fights."

"Sea…"

Brock leaned forward expectantly, eying the Pikachu. Pika turned its head away arrogantly. "What happened to your famous one-hit K.O., boy?"

Red couldn't say anything without embarrassing himself, so he stayed silent. Opal grimaced as Brock moved forward. "Fine! I'll make the first move then. _Rock throw_!"

Onix roared to life, swinging its head back and forth before opening its gigantic mouth to release Pika-sized boulders. Pika gracefully dodged all the rocks, much to Onix's chagrin. Finally, one pebble-sized rock managed to hit Pika's head. It harmlessly bounced off, but that was enough to annoy the Pikachu. However, much to everyone's surprise and to Opal's dismay, instead of attacking Onix, Pika began to shock Red.

"What a joke! So everything was just dumb luck," Brock scoffed. "My Onix's ultimate attack is to use its own body as a torpedo. The speed of its revolution causes unstoppable shock waves."

Onix began to coil, preparing for the attack. Its body began to revolve, the wind picking up around it. Opal stood up in surprise, causing Horsea to fall off the bench. It groaned and glared at Opal, but to his surprise, Opal was too immersed in the battle.

"Oh no…" Opal gasped as Brock shouted his next command, "_Skull bash!_"

Red jolted before diving for Pika, safely avoiding the attack. However, he managed to dirty and injure himself in the process.

"Pi?" Pika looked at Red in surprise. Why did he do that? Opal breathed a sigh of relief, a knowing smirk on her face.

"I'm sorry," Red apologized, a rueful smile on his face. "I didn't want to force you to fight, but I guess I was just getting desperate."

"…" Pika stared at Red's cheerful features, its eyes big and observing. Was Red being sincere? It didn't have much time to think, however, because Onix was up and ready once more.

"This time we won't miss!" Brock shouted out. "ATTACK!"

Onix dove forward, with Red's back turned to it. Pika began to gather electricity in his cheeks. Whether Red meant his words or not, Pika had to return the favor. The Pikachu ran forward before pouncing on Onix. Onix stopped its assault, alarmed, while Brock's mouth flew open. Pika unleashed its attack, successfully shocking Onix.

"W-What?" Brock stepped back in amazement as Onix fainted. Pika landed gracefully on the floor, completely unharmed. Opal nodded her head, impressed. Pika wasn't a normal Pikachu; it clearly had experience when it came to battling.

"What's this?" the crowd murmured. Was Brock defeated?

"**And the winner is…RED!**" the PA system broadcasted. All was silent until the spectators and battlers erupted into a series of cheers. Red grinned sheepishly while Pika held his head high. Opal clapped her hands together loudly, beaming at Red. The boy managed to win!

"I can't believe he actually did it," Opal smirked. "Though, I never actually doubted his win. That boy is something special."

"Sea," Horsea agreed. Opal glanced at it before giggling, ruffling its head affectionately.

"Now, since he already won, how about we find Tally?" Opal mused. She scooped up Horsea and began to carry it outside. By now, the crowd had dispersed, as Brock would take a short break to heal his Pokemon. As she passed through the entrance, Opal noticed Red talking with Pika. "Congratulations for winning against Brock."

"Ah, thanks," Red grinned, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "But it's all thanks to Pika."

"Pi." Pika raised its head up haughtily, as if to say 'what else did you expect?' Opal grinned, bending down to pet Pika's head. The small mouse Pokemon purred as her fingers swept through the yellow hair. Horsea moved away, clearly afraid of the electric-type Pokemon.

"So I take it you and Pika are best buddies now?" Opal jokingly asked. Red beamed, Opal's sarcasm not registering in his head.

"You bet!" Red exclaimed jovially. A mischievous glint appeared in Pika's eyes before it began to chase Red around, shocking the poor boy. "Ah, hey, Pika! Stop that!"

"You guys get along great," Opal smiled. She stepped back and took out her cellphone. "Listen, if you notice anything suspicious, let me know, okay? In fact, how about we exchange numbers?"

"Well, I don't have a cellphone, so I can only make calls from the Pokemon Center," Red sheepishly explained. Opal just shrugged.

"Doesn't matter to me. My guess is that you'll probably be already taking on the Vermillion Gym Leader by the time Tally and I will get to Cerulean," Opal expected. "You don't seem like the type to wait around."

"I guess that's true. I was going to head to Mt. Moon right after this," Red said, amazed at how easily Opal could read his personality.

"Ah, so then let's hurry up. I don't want to slow you down." Opal fished her cellphone out and began to enter the number Red gave her. She also gave Red her number on paper just in case he saw something before Opal could call him. "I'm counting on you."

"Just leave it to me," Red assured the brunette. Opal nodded before bidding the boy farewell. She felt as if she could count on Red, seeing as the professor had enough faith in the boy to entrust Bulbasaur to him.

_Now, I wonder where Tally is…_Opal mused to herself. _It's around noon, so she should be back at the Pokemon Center._

"Come on, Horsea," Opal said to the blue sea horse. "Let's head back. I'm sure Tally's back by now."

"Sea!" Horsea nodded. It was eager to meet up with Tally after their long time apart. However, it did surprisingly enjoy watching the gym matches. Horsea wondered if he could ever be as strong as all those other Pokemon, especially that 'Pika'. "Hors."

"You missed Tally too, huh?" Opal laughed at how similarly they thought. "I think she would have enjoyed watching Red battle."

They began to stroll through Pewter's street. Opal noted that it wasn't as crowded as Viridian City. To her left, she saw the old museum where they displayed old fossils and whatnot. Opal made a note to herself to bring Tally over there some time soon. When they finally arrived at the Center, Opal was tired and hungry. The clock read 12:52; the perfect time to eat lunch!

"Man, I'm starving," Opal announced. She found an empty table and sat Horsea down. Opal went up to Nurse Joy to ask of Tally's whereabouts after giving both Horsea and Spearow some free food that the Pokemon Center provided.

"Yes, how may I help you?" Nurse Joy asked politely when she saw Opal approach. The Pokemon Center was a bit empty during this time of the day because all the trainers were either out training or at the gym.

"Hello, have you seen a blonde girl about 3 inches shorter than me with blue eyes and a white cardigan?" Opal inquired. Nurse Joy pondered over it for a moment before something clicked in her mind.

"Oh, yes! I remember healing her Pokemon after her battle with a brown-haired boy yesterday," Nurse Joy recalled. Opal furrowed her eyebrows; a brown-haired boy? "They were quite beat up. She looked very upset as they were recuperating in the room."

"Tally lost?" Opal blinked in surprise before reminding herself that Tally was a new trainer. However, her battle with the Rocket grunt was impressive. "She hasn't been back yet either?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Nurse Joy answered ruefully. "I'm a little bit worried. She seemed to be in such a hurry this morning that she missed breakfast."

"That girl…" Opal groaned. She took out some money and handed it over to the pink-haired nurse. "I'll be paying for two sandwiches and two packets of D-Zee."

"Ah, keep the money," Nurse Joy declined. "Just make sure she gets enough nutrition. It's unhealthy for trainers to skip even one meal."

"Right. Thank you," Opal nodded. She went to the cafeteria and put the food items into a plastic bag. She also made sure to get two Poke-pellet packets for Nidoran and Pidgey (she took a long time deciding whether or not to get some for the blue little devil). "Do you guys want to stay here while I go look for Tally?"

"Row." Having spent enough time in its pokéball, Spearow shook its head. It flew over to Opal's shoulder, ready to head out. Opal giggled at its antics and peered down at Horsea. It, too, said 'no', and Opal picked it up in one arm, her other one carrying the bag full of food.

"We better hurry up. I bet Tally's too preoccupied with training to notice her and her Pokémon's hunger," Opal sighed. With food as her motivation, Opal found herself at the outskirts of Route 2 and at the entrance of Viridian Forest. "Now where, oh where, is Tally?"

"Spear!" Spearow warned Opal. She glanced up and narrowly dodged a _gust _from a Pidgeotto. "Row!"

"Whoa!" Opal gasped, accidentally dropping her bag and Horsea. Thankfully, none of the food dropped and the only injury Opal got was a scape on her knee. "Spearow, _fury attack_!"

Spearow immediately took action. It ascended into the skies, rocketing off from the ground at an alarming rate. Opal grinned when she saw Spearow hit the wild Pidgeotto five times, and the Pidgeotto fell from the sky.

"Nice job, Spearow—" Opal was cut off when a _quick attack _narrowly missed her. She fell off balance, eyes wide as dinner plates. "What the?"

"Geeooo!" the Pidgeotto cried out angrily. Opal winced as it menacingly approached her, obviously upset that Spearow managed to injure it. Opal shut her eyes; Spearow wasn't going to make it in time.

"Horsea!" Horsea immediately let out a barrage of _bubbles_, hitting the side of Pidgeotto's face. It didn't seem to injure it at all; in fact, the wild Pokemon looked even angrier than before. It seemed to have changed its target from Opal to Horsea.

"Horsea, stop!" Opal commanded. Horsea didn't seem to be listening, for Opal was not its trainer. He continued to shoot more _bubbles _in Pidgeotto's face. "Spearow, _**help**_**!**"

"Pidgey, _quick attack_!" someone commanded. From the trees, Pidgey came soaring through, hitting its evolved version square in the chest, which managed to knock it off towards the side. There was a Nidoran waiting at the side, poised and ready. "Nidoran, _double kick_!" The Nidoran sent two kicks at the Pidgeotto's face. Deducing that it would not win against the four Pokemon, the Pidgeotto fled.

Farther down the road, Opal saw Tally come up, looking like an absolute wreck. "Opal, are you alright?" Tally asked worriedly, helping Opal get up. Opal winced when she put pressure on the leg where her knee was bleeding, but other than that, the girl seemed fine.

"Yeah, thanks to you," Opal smiled. Tally nervously returned it before noticing the plastic bag.

"W-What's that?" Tally asked, pointing to the packed food.

"That would be lunch," Opal giggled. She bent down to pick it up and saw Spearow come down from the sky. It looked apologetic, but Opal just smiled and stroked its beak. "You did great. It's my fault for not being attentive."

"Lunch, already?" Tally looked shocked until her stomach growled, causing her to blush. "Oh…"

Opal laughed, which only made Tally turn redder. "Let's go to the rest house. My leg kind of hurts and I'm still really hungry."

"Yes, that looks pretty b-bad," Tally commented. "I'm really sorry. If only I had come in on time—"

"Listen, it's not a big deal," Opal intervened. She began to lightly push Tally out towards the exit. "Let's eat and talk about what happened to you, okay?"

"What happened to me?" Tally mumbled quietly. "It's not really a big deal…"

"Oh, it is," Opal stubbornly persisted. "Nurse Joy told me. The guy who beat you, was he perhaps Green Oak?"

"I don't know," Tally admitted sadly. "It's just, his Pokemon…they were on an entirely different level than me!"

They entered the rest house and sat themselves on a bench. Silently, Tally began to eat her sandwich, lost within her thoughts. Opal handed out the food to the Pokemon before she began to eat herself.

Halfway through her sandwich, Opal noticed that Tally had already finished and was sitting with her hands in her lap. It looked a little comical for Tally looked nothing like a proper lady with her dirtied clothes and tangled hair. Opal decided that it was because the blonde was training so hard.

"So, mind telling me exactly how the match went?" Opal casually asked. Tally flinched.

Slowly, Tally began, "Well, it started off with…

* * *

><p>"<em>Y-You're a trainer too, right?" Tally called out to the brunette. That seemed to have caught his attention, for he paused and glanced behind his back.<em>

"_What of it?" he responded rudely. Tally clenched her fist._

"_S-So, you've battled Brock…" Tally muttered angrily. "…right?"_

_The boy said nothing, which only made Tally even more nervous. Finally, the boy sighed before showing the blonde a new Boulder Badge. "Yeah, it wasn't even hard to get it with my Charmander."_

"_No way…" Tally gasped. "You beat him with a Fire-type?"_

"_Like I said, it wasn't even that hard," the boy shrugged. "It doesn't matter if you have a type advantage or not. It all depends on the trainer."_

_Tally remained silent. It was true; Opal had said something like that before. The boy continued on, not caring if Tally was paying attention or not. "That's why it doesn't even matter if you have a Horsea. You're never going to win against Brock."_

"_T-That's not true!" Tally snapped. She blushed at the tone of her voice, but she didn't care. This guy was a jerk!_

"_Oh, it is," the guy smirked. "I can prove it to you with a battle. I bet I can take wipe your whole team with just my Charmander."_

_Tally quietly fumed. It didn't matter if this guy had a badge or not; she would beat him! "F-Fine."_

"_Okay, meet me outside," the ordered. He went up to the counter and picked up only one pokéball, which only made Tally madder. They stood 20 feet away from each other. "Go, Charmander!"_

"_Char!" Out from the pokéball came a red lizard with a yellow belly and a little flame on the tip of its tail. Tally bit her lip before she, too, sent out her first Pokemon. _

"_C-Come on, Pidgey!" Tally threw her pokéball out. Pidgey came out and stood on the ground, eyeing Charmander carefully. "We have to beat him, Pidgey. I-I believe in you."_

"_Belief is stupid if you're up against a stronger opponent," the boy said arrogantly. "Charmander, let's make this quick. __**Ember**__!"_

_The Charmander inhaled some air before spewing out tiny fires towards Pidgey. Tally gasped, but luckily, Pidgey agilely dodged them all. However, that didn't seem to deter Charmander at all. In fact, it continued its relentless assault until it managed to hit Pidgey right at the face._

"_GEY!" Pidgey shrieked out painfully. It lost its concentration for a moment, flying closer towards the ground. _

"_No! Pidgey, fly up!" Tally commanded desperately. It was now within Charmander's range, which frightened her. _

_This was what exactly the boy hoped for. "Charmander, __**Metal Claw**__!" _

_His Charmander ran forward towards the struggling bird. With its metallic claws raised and ready, it brought them down right on Pidgey's back, successfully causing the bird to crash down. Tally gasped in horror as a small crater formed around the fallen bird's defeated form. Charmander backed away to give her some room._

"_Pidgey!" Tally sobbed out. She was crying now as she approached her fainted Pokemon. It looked so pitiful then. "R-Return…"_

"_We can end the battle here," the boy suggested. He hadn't expected her to cry, but his words angered Tally even further. _

"_I-I'm not done yet…" Tally grumbled darkly. "Come on, Nidoran!"_

_The blue Pokemon growled as it sized its opponent. They made her trainer cry; that was unforgivable! _

"_Hmph, fine," the boy rolled his eyes. "Charmander, __**ember**__."_

"_Nidoran, counter with __**poison sting**__!" Tally commanded. She dried off her tears and was now determined to win this for Pidgey. Nidoran opened its mouth to release purple poison sticks that warded off the tiny flames coming its way._

"_Interesting," the boy mused. She was certainly different now. "__**Leer**__."_

_Charmander glared at the Nidoran, causing the normally tough Pokemon to cower just a bit. Tally bit her lip; now Nidoran's defense was lowered, proving to be quite a challenge._

"_Go for a __**scratch**__!" Tally ordered. The boy smirked; that was what he was waiting for._

"_Charmander, standby," the boy said. Charmander stood still. It didn't know why its trainer didn't want it to attack, but he trusted him enough. "Let it come close."_

"_If you're letting us have an attack out of pity, we don't need it!" Tally shouted, frustrated beyond belief. The boy just sent her a lopsided grin. _

"_Don't worry, we're not," the boy said. That made Tally confused, but that still didn't make her see that this was an obvious trap. "We're planning to finish this battle right now!"_

"_What?" Tally blinked before she saw Charmander's metallic claws. "Wait, Nidoran!"_

"_Nido?" Nidoran paused, looking back at its trainer curiously. It didn't see Charmander approach it until the fire lizard held it in place by smashing its claws atop of her head. "RAN!"_

"_**Ember**__," the boy commanded. And just like that, the battle was over. Tally could tell that Nidoran wouldn't survive an __**ember **__at that close of a range, and she ran forward to pick up her fallen Nidoran. She didn't know why but tears were sliding down he face once more._

"_I can't believe it…" Tally murmured, hugging her Nidoran close. With his hands in his pockets, the boy walked up to where his Charmander stood, looking down at Tally. _

"_Crying over your Pokemon…you haven't been a trainer for that long, have you?" the boy questioned. Tally shook her head. "It's obvious at the way you handled the battle. You went for such conspicuous techniques that it was easy to see through your plans. Relying on your Pidgey's agility and your Nidoran's attack may work on people who're weaker than you, but it won't work on those that are stronger."_

"…" _Tally remained silent, unable to find a decent argument against his words._

"_It's okay to trust your Pokemon; it's okay to believe in them," the boy continued on. "But you also have to acknowledge that there will always be people who are stronger. And then, believing in your Pokemon won't be enough. If you truly want to be a good trainer, then you have train your Pokemon. Frankly, they're weak when they're with you because you aren't pushing them to their maximum potential." _

_The boy looked around and noticed that the sun was setting soon. "Cry there if you want, but I have to get going."_

_With that said, the boy walked away, leaving Tally to herself._

* * *

><p>"…And that was that," Tally finished her story, out of breath. Their V-Zee packets were drained of juice and empty plastic covers littered the bench.<p>

"That must have been horrible," Opal commented. Tally nodded her head. "But, that must have been a good encounter for you as a trainer. What Green said is true, but he didn't have to be such a jerk about it."

"I-I guess," Tally murmured as she stared down at her clenched fists. Even now, his words infuriated her to such a degree. "That's why, I want to get stronger."

"It's good to have a goal to work towards to," Opal nodded. She motioned over to Tally's napping Pokemon. "Just don't overdo it. Your Pokemon and you are tired, right? You've been training since morning, so I think this would be a good time to take a break."

"But the match with Brock!" Tally protested. Opal held her hand up, a firm look in her eyes.

"It can wait tomorrow," Opal said. Tally deflated a bit, which Opal noticed. "How about we leave the Pokemon with Nurse Joy? I'll show you the museum."

"O-Okay, I guess…" Tally conceded. She couldn't find the courage to stand up to Opal, and what the older girl said was true as well. She hadn't considered how her Pokemon felt at all, which made her feel guilty. After they returned their Pokemon inside their pokéballs, the duo made their way through Route 2 safely.

They didn't notice the black uniformed Rocket grunt.

"Reporting in, sir," the grunt said to his walkie-talkie. "The last two trainers from Viridian Forest have made it to Pewter."

"Excellent. We're now ready to carry out our operation," a voice responded, chuckling. "Secure the surroundings. We'll be meeting in the museum. Remember, in our pedestrian clothing."

"Sir, yes sir!" the grunt said.

"Alright, remember the signal. Also, be careful of Brock. The rest, well…" the man paused before he let out another dark chuckle. "Simply defeat them. Eradicate them. That's all."

The grunt shivered before shakily agreeing, "O-Orders are orders…"

"Indeed." The connection was cut off, and the grunt sighed, relieved. Sometimes, even he had to question Team Rocket's motives. Whatever it was, they were clearly targeting something inside the museum. What it was exactly, the grunt didn't know.

However, he did know something for certain: Whoever was caught inside the museum during the Rockets' invasion was a dead man.


End file.
